Local health advocates launch Reclaim Healthcare WNC

Press release from Reclaim Healthcare WNC:

A volunteer-led coalition of physicians, nurses, elected officials, clergy, business leaders, and healthcare and community advocates has formally organized to respond to the negative changes at Mission Health that have occurred since HCA purchased Mission in 2019. Reclaim Healthcare WNC is a coalition and coordinated campaign with three goals:

• Replace HCA with a nonprofit hospital system that will better meet the healthcare needs of Western North Carolina
• Hold HCA accountable for its harmful culture and practices
• Restore best-in-class healthcare throughout the Mission system.

The coalition will utilize multiple strategies to achieve its goals, including public advocacy and engaging with state and federal regulators, public pressure, and legislative pressure.

“We are giving voice to the people of this region who are disappointed and angry at the degradation in the quality of care being provided in the Mission system, and particularly at Mission Hospital,” said NC State Senator Julie Mayfield, a founder of the coalition. “We are also a voice for the physicians, nurses, and staff who work at or with Mission who are not able to speak out due to the culture of fear and retaliation that HCA has created.”

The coalition began in October 2023 with a letter from physicians to the Dogwood Health Trust’s Independent Monitor, decrying the negative impacts of HCA’s ownership of Mission on patient care and the healthcare community. That letter states, “We appreciate the positive things that HCA has done. We as well want to be clear that we have the utmost respect and gratitude for the physicians, nurses, and all the staff doing yeoman’s work with the resources they have. What we did not anticipate was how devastating this transition would be to our community, nor the marked impact it would have on the foundational issue of quality care in our region.”

Initially signed by close to 40 physicians, the letter now has 250 signatures.

Dr. Bruce Kelly, another coalition founder, said, “HCA’s profit-driven culture and management has led to the departure of hundreds of physicians, nurses, and other staff. Coupled with reductions in services and resources, these staffing losses have led to issues of safety and quality and in the overall patient experience. The sanctioning of HCA and Mission Hospital for nine cases of Immediate Jeopardy, including four deaths, are striking examples. HCA has plenty of money to invest in our community’s care – they are choosing not to do so. We don’t want the quality of our care being publicly traded.”

“We cannot forget that this is a regional issue,” said Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof, a coalition founder. “Our local hospital in Transylvania County has also been negatively impacted by HCA’s ownership, and the ability of our residents to receive care locally has been greatly diminished. We formed Reclaim Healthcare WNC in an effort to replace profit-driven HCA with a mission-driven, non-profit owner that is prepared and committed to meeting the healthcare needs of the people of Western North Carolina.”

Reclaim Healthcare WNC is made up of individuals and organizations that support its goals. Anyone is welcome to join by signing up at reclaimhealthcarewnc.org. Specific constituencies, such as business owners, elected officials, clergy, and physicians, can also sign sector-specific letters in support of the coalition’s goals through the website. Additional information about the coalition, including its leadership, can also be found at reclaimhealthcarewnc.org.