Committee recommends no changes to Mission’s COPA

During a 10 a.m. hearing in the North Carolina General Assembly, the N.C. House Select Committee on CON and other Hospital Related Issues announced that they are not recommending any changes to the COPA 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. See the full announcement from Mission Health below:

From the press release from Mission Health:

Mission Health Announces
CON Committee Makes No COPA Recommendations

Asheville, N.C., April 19, 2012 – Today, the NC House Select Committee on CON and other Hospital Related Issues held a hearing and announced its findings regarding Mission Health’s Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA). Mission Health’s President and CEO, Ronald A. Paulus, MD was pleased with the outcome of the hearing. “The Committee indicated that they are not recommending any changes to the COPA at this time; this was music to our ears,” Paulus said. “The Committee acknowledged the complicated and important nature of the COPA and noted that it warranted further study. Most importantly for Mission Health and for the communities we serve, they did not put forth the recommendations that had previously been considered. We would like to thank all committee members for their time and willingness to consider this complex issue.”

Paulus also emphasized that today’s outcome was a positive one for the people of Western North Carolina. “We are grateful for the leadership that Senator Tom Apodaca, Representative Tim Moffitt and Senator Martin Nesbitt offered throughout this process,” said Paulus. “I would also like to thank the significant majority of our Western North Carolina delegation for their bi-partisan support. They understood the critical nature of these CON hearings and shared their perspective with the members of the Committee. Their proactive role was critical to today’s outcome, particularly since no one from Western North Carolina served on the Committee.”

Mission Health was also appreciative of the participation of its employees and other supporters in this process. “We sent out a “call to action” to more than 8,500 people asking them to participate in a letter writing campaign to our political leaders,” said Rowena Buffett Timms, SVP-Government and Community Relations for Mission Health. “The letters outlined the many things at stake if the proposed recommendations had been approved and had become law. We set up a website (www.missionfactchecker.org) which allowed people an electronic option for sending a letter. The response and outpouring of support was overwhelming. As of this morning, more than 10,100 letters had been sent through that site alone.”

Dr. Paulus also noted that today’s outcome will allow the hospital to return its complete focus to its core mission. “We must continue to provide world class care to our patients. As we look to the future, Mission has the opportunity to become even more vital to the health of our community and to lead on a national level.”

About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, NC, is the state’s sixth largest health system and the tertiary care regional referral center for Western NC and the adjoining region. In 2012, Mission Health was named by Thomson Reuters as one of the top 15 health systems in the nation – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.
Founded in 1885, Mission Health is the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in Western North Carolina. Mission operates five hospitals, numerous out-patient and surgery centers, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 750 physicians, and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Centers of excellence include heart, stroke care and neurosciences, and pediatrics. Mission Hospital, the system’s flagship hospital, is licensed for 730 beds and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. Other Mission hospitals include Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion, and Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville. With approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated solely to serving and improving the health and wellness of the people of Western North Carolina.