The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is recommending Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Hospital be placed in immediate jeopardy following incidents the department claims created an unsafe environment for patients.
The department cited incidents that occurred between July and September, according to an Oct. 10 letter from the NCDHHS to Mission Hospital CEO Greg Lowe that was shared with Becker’s.
A Mission Health spokesperson said in a statement shared with Becker’s that the hospital has addressed the issues.
“While we respect the surveyors’ role, the state regulators have not articulated what insufficiencies exist today given the extensive corrective action plans we have implemented and provided to them,” the spokesperson said. “Because of that we proactively shared our plans with CMS. We believe we have addressed the issues and welcome an expedited follow-up survey.”
The incidents noted in the letter included hospital staff failing to respond and assess a patient with emergent needs and inadequate monitoring during patient transport, according to the letter.
The health department is recommending 23-day termination as a result of noncompliance with the federal Medicare conditions of participation. The information gathered was shared with the CMS regional office in Atlanta, which will determine compliance or noncompliance.
If placed in immediate jeopardy, it would be the second such designation in two years for the hospital, which is part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare. CMS notified the hospital of an immediate jeopardy identification in February 2024. Mission Hospital submitted a plan of correction shortly after, and the designation was lifted in June 2024 after CMS determined the hospital was back in compliance.
“We remain confident in the ability of our team to provide compassionate, high-quality care and are committed to continuous improvement in patient safety and clinical excellence,” the Mission Health spokesperson said. “We will continue to work cooperatively with DHHS and CMS to resolve this issue, while keeping our main focus on the community we serve.”
