HCA Mission Hospital has been placed in immediate jeopardy for a third time [“Mission Hospital Placed in Immediate Jeopardy; Sanction Is Third Since Sale to HCA,” Oct. 24, Asheville Watchdog via Xpress]. Once again, there are multiple documentations of HCA not meeting the standards of quality medical care. In my opinion, corporate management is either incapable of consistently meeting benchmarks of standard of care, or they are consistently demonstrating that profits are more important than patient care.
HCA generates over $4 billion of profit on an annual basis, where Mission Hospital is one of its most profitable properties. The message couldn’t be clearer in terms of the bottom line. I think HCA is a hazard to the health of anyone who walks through its doors. They cannot be trusted. In baseball, the rule is three strikes and you’re out. The same adage should apply to HCA.
Because of irreconcilable differences, Asheville and Western North Carolina should divorce this for-profit entity. HCA should be forced by whatever means necessary to leave this community, where they clearly are not a good fit. The mission of Mission must return to a focus on patient care over profit. Quality medical care means returning to a not-for-profit hospital system. That model works well for other hospitals in our immediate area and throughout the state. For the benefit of all, it can work well again at Mission…