Two hospital systems are challenging the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services decision to allow Mission Hospital and Novant Health to expand in Buncombe County.
This latest move comes from AdventHealth and UNC Health West Medical Center, which are vying for a piece of the healthcare pie in an area where Mission Hospital has been the main player. Mission has faced criticism, dealing with federal sanctions related to patient safety and staffing issues.
All four hospital systems were in a race to secure state approval to add up to 129 beds across various facilities in the region, which includes Buncombe, Graham, Madison, and Yancey counties. Recently, health authorities granted Mission the okay to add 95 acute-care beds to its Asheville location, while Novant got the green light for a new 34-bed hospital in Arden.
On Wednesday, UNC Health West Medical Center and AdventHealth confirmed their appeal. An administrative law judge will review the case and has 270 days to make a ruling. “We believe our proposal will provide a safe, high-quality alternative for western North Carolina,” said Alan Wolf from UNC Health.
AdventHealth emphasized the importance of understanding the region’s healthcare needs. Victoria Dunkle, a spokesperson for AdventHealth, stated that the current healthcare challenges highlight the need for more inpatient capacity.
Mission Hospital, which did not comment explicitly on the appeals, expressed optimism about expanding bed capacity to better serve patients. A spokesperson noted that Mission recently became the only Level I Trauma Center in western North Carolina.
However, the decision to grant Mission more beds has drawn criticism. Mission was a nonprofit until it was sold to HCA Healthcare in 2019 for $1.5 billion. Since then, it has struggled with staff turnover and several serious sanctions from healthcare authorities.
A local coalition called Reclaim Healthcare WNC, formed by former staff and some elected officials, is pressing HCA to sell Mission. They believe increased competition would benefit the community. Coalition spokesperson Aaron Sarver remarked, “Given the sanctions Mission has faced, we didn’t expect them to be awarded more beds.”
This situation reflects broader concerns about healthcare access in the region. A 2022 report indicated that North Carolina struggles with hospital understaffing, impacting patient care and safety across many facilities. More voices are advocating for comprehensive healthcare solutions to meet the region’s growing needs.
To learn more about healthcare challenges in North Carolina, you can check the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
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