Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Hospital received written confirmation from CMS on Nov. 21 that its immediate jeopardy designation has been removed, Mission Health President and CEO Greg Lowe told staff in a Nov. 21 email shared with Becker’s.
“We are pleased to announce that we received written notice from CMS today confirming that the survey conducted on November 7 removed the immediate jeopardy at Mission Hospital,” Mr. Lowe wrote. “We appreciate CMS providing confirmation on this matter and look forward to continuing to work with them as we move through the next phase of the process.”
Mr. Lowe previously told staff on Nov. 7 that the state surveying agency had removed the immediate jeopardy during its visit, and that CMS had been notified of the outcome.
The hospital will now submit an updated plan of correction for approval and will be resurveyed by Jan. 15, according to the email.
The immediate jeopardy status was initially recommended by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. In an Oct. 10 letter, the department cited concerns including inadequate monitoring during patient transport and a failure to assess a patient with immediate healthcare needs. CMS accepted the recommendation later that month.
Mission Hospital was required to comply with Medicare conditions of participation by Nov. 9 or risk termination of its CMS Medicare Provider Participation Agreement.
Hospital leaders later said they had hired 200 employees — including 120 registered nurses — in 65 days.
This marked the hospital’s third immediate jeopardy designation since 2019. The most recent prior designation came in February 2024 and was lifted in June 2024 after CMS determined the hospital had returned to compliance. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare acquired Mission Health, a six-hospital system, for $1.5 billion in 2019.
“I want to thank all of you for the patience you have shown with the North Carolina State Survey Agency and CMS throughout this process,” Mr. Lowe said in the email. “We are proud of how it has not distracted you as we have continued to provide compassionate and high quality care for the people of Western North Carolina.”
Becker’s has reached out to CMS and will update this story if more information becomes available.
