Mission Hospital recently filed documents in court signaling its intent to appeal the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services decision to grant competitor AdventHealth permission to add 67 new hospital beds in Buncombe County.
Mission had also filed a proposal to add the needed beds. For months, Mission has faced immense scrutiny from local community members and elected officials on its proposal. Concerned residents have repeatedly protested that both staffing and quality of care dropped after HCA acquired Mission in 2019 – for which Mission is currently facing two class-action antitrust lawsuits — one filed by Asheville-area residents and one filed by several local governments.
In a recent op-ed, retired Mission Health surgeon, Peter Gentling MD FACS, describes how the Asheville community has witnessed the decline of Mission Health since it was bought by HCA: “As a retired surgeon having practiced in Asheville since 1971, I watch the degradation of our hospital and medical community with more than remorse.”
Gentling urges Attorney General Stein and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the HCA-Mission deal. Read more.