Press release
From Mission Health
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 29, 2012) – Mission Hospital hosted the first of a series of meetings bringing together health practitioners, law enforcement, city leaders and support agencies to make Asheville a safer place for women and children.
The kick-off meeting, held on July 16th at the hospital, included representatives from the Buncombe County commissioner’s office, the Buncombe County Health and Human Services, the YWCA of Asheville, the district attorney’s office, the Asheville Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s office, the United Way, Helpmate, Our VOICE, Watershed Capital, Western Highlands Network, Child Abuse Prevention Services, Inc., Pisgah Legal Services and MAHEC.
The group endorsed a zero-tolerance stance on domestic and sexual violence in western North Carolina and identified three immediate initiatives:
* Complete a current safety assessment, including what data is available, and what evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of current or proposed strategies
* Identify innovative prevention strategies that could be implemented in western North Carolina
* Evaluate the idea of a “Community Wide Collaborative Response” to domestic and sexual violence
“The statistics and facts are alarming. One out of every three American women has been (or will be) the victim of an attempted rape or other acts of violence in their lifetime, and one in five children will experience abuse,” said Kellett Letson, MD, Women’s Service Line Leader at Mission Hospital and Chair of OB/GYN at MAHEC. “We are taking a stand and making it known that western North Carolina will not accept violence and abuse.”
“On behalf Mission Hospital and MAHEC, I want to express our gratitude and appreciation for the dedicated group of community leaders who have joined together to make our community a safe place for women and children,” said Jill Hoggard Green, PhD, RN, President and COO of Mission Hospital. “Women and children in western North Carolina should be protected, and I am confident our joint efforts will make this happen.”
About Mission Hospital
Mission Hospital, the flagship hospital of Mission Health, is a not-for-profit hospital that serves as the regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care in western North Carolina and the adjoining region. Mission Hospital is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina and houses the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. It also includes Mission Children’s Hospital– the regions only children’s hospital. Mission Hospital has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health. In 2012 Thomson Reuters named Mission Hospital as a Top 100 Hospital for the fourth consecutive year, and Professional Research Consultants ranked Mission Hospital in the top 15% nationally in patient satisfaction. Mission Hospital is licensed for 730 beds and employs more than 6,500 people, including over 1,800 RNs. Mission Hospital is committed to serving its community and improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina.
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