Mission Hospital in Asheville is once again facing “Immediate Jeopardy,” just a few months after getting the same designation wiped by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Greg Lowe, president of the Mission Health system which operates the hospital, informed hospital employees of the news Thursday evening.
In Lowe’s message, which was obtained by Carolina Public Press, he said CMS notified the hospital that it was being placed back under Immediate Jeopardy status after a follow-up survey visit from state inspectors.
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That unannounced inspection was a condition of Mission’s earlier arrangement with CMS, in which the agency agreed to remove the hospital from Immediate Jeopardy if it followed through on a plan to correct the problems identified during an inspection in October.
During that earlier visit, state regulators witnessed a preventable patient death, unsafe patient transport, patient misidentification and harmful infection protocol, prompting the federal health agency to take action.
Immediate Jeopardy is a term used by CMS to designate hospitals whose noncompliance with health and safety regulations places patients at risk of serious harm. If not fixed, it could lead the federal agency to terminate essential Medicare and Medicaid funding.
However, the pulling of such funding seems unlikely to be a viable option, given that Mission Hospital is a critical health care provider in the western part of the state.
Lowe said in his message to employees announcing the new Immediate Jeopardy status that Mission has already submitted an “enhanced” corrective plan, one that’s more comprehensive than the one developed following its failed October inspection, and added that he’s committed to “resetting” the hospital’s relationship with CMS.
Aspects of the plan include hiring an independent consultant to provide guidance and oversight to hospital leadership and making changes to the hospital’s grievance process for employees and patients.
In addition, Mission has submitted a separate plan to correct the compliance issues noted in the follow-up survey visit. Exactly what those issues are is still uncertain.
“We have submitted extensive and comprehensive plans to CMS to resolve the deficiencies that were identified,” Mission spokesperson Nancy Lindell told CPP in an emailed statement.
“Our collaboration with CMS has provided an opportunity to strengthen our processes and further enhance patient care. We have the resources and support from our organization to make the improvements identified. We take our responsibilities to the citizens of western North Carolina seriously, and our leadership, dedicated caregivers, and physicians remain focused on providing the best possible care.”
State inspectors will once again stage a visit to the hospital prior to Feb. 18, according to Lowe.
The formerly nonprofit Mission Health has suffered controversy after controversy since being acquired by Tennessee-based for-profit HCA Healthcare in 2019, driven mostly by staffing shortages, treatment of staff and concerns over quality of care. That includes the multiple Immediate Jeopardy findings.
HCA is currently battling a lawsuit from Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office which alleges that the company hasn’t abided by its purchase agreement with the state, which stipulated that it must remain in good standing with CMS and retain the same level of services like trauma care and cancer treatment.
This marks the fourth time since 2021 that Mission Hospital, the system’s flagship hospital, has faced Immediate Jeopardy.
State Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, who has been outspoken about her dissatisfaction with HCA’s management of the hospital, told CPP in a text she’s “grateful that CMS has remained deeply engaged in working with the hospital to improve the problems CMS and DHHS identified.”
“I will also note that pre-sale Mission did not struggle with the range and depth of problems that HCA has,” she added.
“I suggest that this is a direct result of HCA prioritizing process, speed, and profit over the most important priority: centering patient care. Hopefully the pending improvements and the monitor will ensure that patient care once again takes center stage at Mission Hospital.”
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