Since its sale to the for-profit HCA Healthcare seven years ago, Mission Hospital has been beset by complaints about declining care. Staff have left in waves, medical specialties have vanished and patient deaths have triggered threats from regulators that the hospital could lose crucial Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.
Amid a crescendo of public concern, one of the few options to hold HCA accountable has been a lawsuit by the North Carolina Attorney General. It alleges that HCA failed to live up to an agreement to provide services at the same level as previously available under the formerly nonprofit and well-regarded Mission Hospital before the 2019 sale.
A ruling Monday by a North Carolina Business Court judge has handed significant wins to the Attorney General’s Office and cleared the way for a trial in the closely-watched case…