Western North Carolina
Deserves Better Healthcare

Take Action - “HCA Mission Act”

Despite the fact that he is not running for re-election after his ethics scandal, WNC’s Rep. Chuck Edwards, recently introduced legislation in Congress that would add enforcement penalties for hospitals that are repeatedly cited for violating patient safety standards. Titled “HCA Mission Act” the bill would, according to the Asheville Watchdog:

 “Filed Sept. 8, the so-called “HCA Mission Act,” would allow CMS to fine hospitals that received two Immediate Jeopardy warnings within a two-year period. It would allow CMS to impose a penalty of $10,000 a day for every day that a violation continued.”

You can read the full text of the proposed legislation here. 

This is a big deal. Despite the Congressman not seeking re-election, this is the first federal legislation that  directly responds to the problems we’ve experienced at HCA/Mission Hospital. And importantly, it would also impact all hospitals across our country.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Reclaim does not support any political parties or candidates. However, we can engage in issue advocacy.

Please email the three candidates running to replace Rep. Edwards. Ask them 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?

The three candidates, as they will appear in order on your ballot if you reside in the 11th Congressional District of North Carolina (NC-11) are:

Jennifer Capps Balkcom - jennifer@jenniferbalkcom.com

Jamie Ager - team@agerforcongress.com

Travis Groo - groofornc@gmail.com

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.