Top Novant officials presented to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, riding high on what is probably the most significant announcement the healthcare company has made since buying NHRMC — $1 billion in new investments in the hospital. They also addressed Novant’s efforts to address concerns about staffing, patient safety, and quality of care.
Novant’s officials aren’t just responding to concerns voiced by the public and elected officials — although there has been plenty of that — or the dismal safety and quality ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency that rates both safety and patient experience, and Leapfrog, a national nonprofit watchdog for hospital quality.
They’re also speaking to conditions of the asset purchase agreement (APA), the legal contract that transferred ownership of NHRMC to Novant. The APA includes promises of significant capital investments — to the tune of $3.1 billion — and efforts to stay in the top 10% for patient satisfaction…