Western North Carolina
Deserves Better Healthcare

Reclaim Asks NC-11 Candidates About HCA Mission Act

Legislation was recently introduced in Congress that would add enforcement penalties for hospitals that are repeatedly cited for violating patient safety standards. The bill, titled “HCA Mission Act” and introduced by Rep. Edwards, would empower federal regulators to fine hospitals up to $10,000 a day for any Immediate Jeopardy violations.

Mission Hospital in Asheville has received four Immediate Jeopardy violations since HCA purchased the hospital in 2019. You can read the full text of the proposed legislation here. 

Our organization emailed the candidates for NC-11 asking if they support this legislation – would they re-introduce the bill if elected and do they think it goes far enough? If the bill doesn’t go far enough, what else would they include?

Jamie Ager was the only candidate to respond. Multiple emails were sent to the campaigns that did not respond. Below is the response from Mr. Ager:

Since you are well versed in this area, I think we all know it goes without saying that business as usual is not cutting it at HCA. Our community is not getting the most basic quality of care that all people deserve.

Some of the stories I’ve heard from people on the campaign trail are truly horrifying. Broadly speaking, everyone is concerned about this issue to some extent. People in our community who are supposed to be served by this hospital are scared to even go to it. I am certain HCA does not fully understand how little trust our community has in them.

For the above reasons and others, I do intend to champion a similar bill framework to the Health Care Accountability Mission Act and will seek additional input from local leaders and experts on how to improve the bill.

As a leader, I listen first. You have my word that I will do everything in my power to improve the standard of care — and broadly speaking, the health care system in our country.

If Reclaim receives a response from Jennifer Capps Balkcom or Travis Groo, the two additional candidates running for NC-11, we will publicize their responses as well.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Reclaim Healthcare WNC does not support any political parties or candidates. 

Preparing for a Hospital Stay Webinar

Reclaim Healthcare WNC has created a simple-to-use document titled “Preparing for a Hospital Stay,” which can be downloaded here. This free guide provides the basics of navigating a stay at Mission Hospital. Most of the guide is applicable to hospitals in general, not just Mission, and therefore may be of interest to anyone wanting to advocate for themselves or a loved one at any hospital. 

On October 19th from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Reclaim Healthcare WNC is hosting a free webinar with our Patient Education and Advocacy Team at Reclaim. Four nurses, each with decades of direct nursing experience including working at Mission Hospital, will take part in a discussion about the document and answer questions from attendees. The conversation will be moderated by Miriam Schwarz, MPA, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Reclaim Healthcare WNC. 

“Reclaim is committed to empowering people and their loved ones to be their own best healthcare advocates. This free webinar will help community members learn how to best navigate and take control of their healthcare experiences in the hospital,” says Schwarz.

To register for this free webinar, send an email to reclaimhealthcarewnc@gmail.com with your first and last name.

ABOUT RECLAIM

We are RECLAIM HEALTHCARE WNC, a coalition of physicians, nurses, elected officials, clergy, attorneys, business leaders, and community members. We are committed to unwavering support for staff at Mission Health and holding HCA accountable through the empowerment of our community.

Vision Statement: WNC residents again trust they will receive quality care at Mission Health. 

Mission Statement: Uniting and empowering WNC to hold HCA accountable for safe, high-quality care and positive patient experiences.

In January of 2026, Mission Hospital once was again placed in “Immediate Jeopardy” status by federal regulators. This is the third “Immediate Jeopardy” finding in less than two years!

Immediate Jeopardy citations of WNC hospitals owned by HCA:

• Mission Hospital (Asheville) - 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026

• Blue Ridge Regional Hospital (Spruce Pine) - 2023

• Mission Hospital McDowell (Marion) - 2021

Reclaim Healthcare WNC has two goals:  

1. Holding HCA leadership accountable to provide consistently excellent patient care and patient experiences. While many patients receive excellent care and have positive experiences at Mission, thanks to the dedicated staff, it is also true that patient care and experiences are inconsistent. We shine a continuous spotlight on these issues in order to drive change.

2. Empowering WNC residents to be their own best healthcare advocates. We want to build an army of advocates who know what to expect and demand when they or a loved one are in the hospital.