For the third time in less than two years, Mission Hospital faces sanctions that could result in it losing crucial federal funding, CEO Greg Lowe told employees in a Jan. 29 letter.
The letter, obtained Friday by Asheville Watchdog, said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had notified the hospital that it had been placed in immediate jeopardy. The finding, which means that deficiencies at the hospital endanger patients’ lives and safety, is one of the most serious sanctions a hospital can face. Including a 2021 determination, it is the fourth time CMS has placed Mission in immediate jeopardy since HCA Healthcare bought the nonprofit Mission Health system in 2019.
Mission must now fix the deficiencies or risk the termination of the federal contract that allows it to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments. The finding followed a visit by state regulators, which the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said took place Jan. 6 through 9…