Dogwood requests independen­t monitor proposals for HCA

Dogwood Health Trust announced Jan. 2 it is seeking a request for proposals to provide independent monitor, or IM, services to oversee HCA Healthcare. HCA purchased the nonprofit Mission Hospital for $1.5 billion in 2019, and the nonprofit Dogwood Health Trust was formed as part of the sale. In its asset purchase agreement, HCA made 15 commitments […]

How state law restricts WNC residents’ access to abortion

Although abortion is technically legal in the U.S., access varies widely. State laws dictate which specific procedures are allowed, which health care providers can perform them and even who can get an abortion. Access is also shaped by how many facilities there are in a given area that are capable of providing this kind of […]

doulas

Wellness roundup: Vaya to consolidat­e with Cardinal; MAHEC receives doula grant

Asheville-based Vaya Health and Charlotte-based Cardinal Innovations, two of North Carolina’s largest managed care organizations, announced on June 1 that they will consolidate ahead of the state’s transformation to Medicaid managed care. Vaya will assume responsibility for coordinating services for Cardinal Innovations members once the organizations are consolidated. Vaya Health currently manages services for individuals […]

With interest in birth centers soaring, local facility struggles to cover costs

When Emma Strickland learned she was pregnant with her second child, she started looking for an alternative to a hospital birth. She found it at the WNC Birth Center. The center is open during the COVID pandemic but has had to scale back on some of its related services. Ironically, that’s led to a shortage of income at a time when women like Strickland find themselves increasingly drawn to a birth center.