ASHEVILLE – Mission Hospital has fulfilled the terms of its separation contract with a former employee, 10 months after agreeing to it.
Laura Kerzwick worked at Mission Hospital for almost nine years, according to her LinkedIn. She started in August 2014 as a radiation oncology manager. By the time she left in March 2023, she was the director of outpatient oncology at the hospital.
According to a portion of her separation agreement included in court records, Mission called her departure a “voluntary designation.” Mission owed her $54,360.44 as part of the agreement by April 11, before tax withholdings. Kerzwick signed the agreement March 3, 2023.
But the hospital did not pay Kerzwick what they owed in time. Kerzwick filed a complaint in Buncombe County Small Claims Court against the hospital in July, alleging that the hospital breached the agreement. The Citizen Times first reported the lawsuit in December.
Mission did not pay her $5,000, the money owed to her for emotional distress. She asked the court to demand the hospital pay interest, court and legal fees as well as the initial amount.