We, the undersigned clergy, take seriously the allegations set forth in the Asheville Citizen Times and the Asheville Watchdog articles regarding conditions at Mission Health. These allegations put HCA Healthcare in immediate jeopardy in multiple instances. It also places our health care system at risk of losing Medicare and Medicaid funding if corrective actions are not undertaken. This could be a health care disaster for our entire region.
As faith leaders we see our local hospitals as sacred spaces. Within the walls of this critical place in our community, we regularly accompany congregational members, friends, and family with spiritual care and love. We are present at the beginning and end of life, as well as in crucial moments in between. We understand the vital role of our health care system. Therefore, we are compelled to speak out on behalf of the people we serve.
We express our ongoing support for current employees of Mission Health. The medical and support staff are the heart and soul of Mission. They hold together the seams of this broken system on behalf of all of us. Unfortunately, the conditions of immediate jeopardy are written in such a way that it places the onus of responsibility upon individual medical staff involved in each case. Physicians and nurses will likely become scapegoats. Yet HCA must bear responsibility for creating the conditions that have led to dangerous situations that are only now becoming public.