WNC Community Healthcare Initiative releases statement about committee’s decision on COPA

Earlier today, the N.C. House Select Committee on CON and other Hospital Related Issues announced that they are not recommending any changes to Mission Health’s Certificate of Public Advantage at this time. Recently, the committee had made a series of five recommendations.

However, the committee decided not to adopt any of them at this time followed by an further investigation into these issues. Below is a statement from the WNC Community Healthcare Initiative. According to its website, the WNC Community Healthcare Initiative considers Misison’s COPA to be “an outdated, poorly supervised COPA” that “has allowed Mission Health System to gain unreasonable control of health care in the region.”

The statement below is from Graham Fields from Park Ridge Health on behalf of the WNC Community Healthcare Initiative, who attended today’s meeting in Raleigh:

“We are encouraged by the committee’s commitment to preserving patient choice and access in the region. This process so far has shown the need for even greater monitoring and oversight of Mission and it’s COPA. It is rare for a committee to continue work after the end of the Legislature and it demonstrates the complexity of this issue and the potential widespread implications for the people of WNC. The five year compliance audit of Mission’s activities under the COPA will shed light on what recommendations are necessary. This process will continue and Mission’s COPA is clearly under investigation. If Mission continues its aggressive expansion in the region while the committee is still completing its work, such action could only be viewed as an effort to undermine the legislative process.”

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.