Mission Hospital should again be put in immediate jeopardy, the worst sanction a hospital can face, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recommended.
The finding, made by NCDHHS and reported to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is a devastating blow to the largest healthcare provider in western North Carolina: For the second time in two years, and the third since for-profit HCA Healthcare bought the nonprofit Mission Health system in 2019, the hospital risks losing Medicare and Medicaid funding because of deficiencies in care so severe that state inspectors believe they pose imminent risk of serious injuries or death to patients.
NCDHHS notified Mission CEO Greg Lowe of its finding in a letter dated Oct. 10 and obtained Oct. 17 by Asheville Watchdog. In an email that afternoon, Mission spokesperson Katie Czerwinski said the hospital was disappointed with the recommendation…