The co-responder unit from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services will focus on mental health calls, welfare checks and involuntary commitments.

The co-responder unit from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services will focus on mental health calls, welfare checks and involuntary commitments.
In pursuit of that Holy Grail — natural sleep unaided by pharmaceuticals — some residents have resorted to an array of methods, from horses to herbs, massage to dance.
About a dozen investigators have been interviewing hospital physicians, nurses and staff, reviewing hospital communications, patient records and other documents, and analyzing systemic safety procedures to ensure minimum standards of care, according to multiple sources.
“Mental health challenges impact all demographics and each of these has their own cultural way of addressing them,” says Robin C. Payne, executive director of NAMI Western Carolina. “As such, we are careful not to assume we know what is best for a community. Instead we try to create opportunities for open discussions and see how we can provide the resources that are needed.”
“One of the biggest misconceptions about human trafficking is that it doesn’t happen here. It absolutely does,” says Amanda Gopal, executive director of The Hundred Movement.
“Families can meet others and not feel so alone on their autism journey,” says Caroline Long Tindall, CEO of St. Gerard House. “Young adults are becoming part of their community and giving back — the community is getting to know how valuable individuals with autism are.”
Decreased funding from federal Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, could be devastating to the local nonprofits serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
“Mission has not breached the APA [asset purchase agreement],” the letter said, referring to the contract governing HCA’s 2019 purchase of then nonprofit Mission Health for $1.5 billion. “Mission is now, and always has been, in full compliance with that contract and often exceeds its obligations under the APA.”
Adults may qualify if they earn up to 138% of the federal poverty limit, which is about $20,000 a year for a single person and about $34,000 for a family of three.
For many nondrinkers, finding a social life in a region centered around breweries can be difficult. Here are some of the ways people do it.
We deserve better. We deserve the kind of healthcare Mission used to provide, before HCA, when the hospital was considered one of the top health systems in the United States, a magnet for some of the finest physicians in the country, and a source of community pride.
Ronald Winters, CEO of the independent monitor for HCA Healthcare, faced an unhappy crowd at a community meeting Oct. 19. Current and former physicians, nurses and patients from Mission Hospital implored Gibbins Advisors to monitor the health care system’s quality. Throughout the 90-minute public meeting, Winters repeatedly told the audience that quality of patient care […]
Buncombe County Public Libraries are not only a place for literature, film, research, story hours and free yoga classes. They also provides amenities like public bathrooms, heating, air conditioning and internet access, which are enjoyed by everyone but are lifelines for some patrons.
“There is so much pressure in our society for mothers to be perfect,” Batchelder remembers. “So when my daughter got depressed in high school, I wondered if it was my fault, what did I do wrong, what should I have done differently. Was I too much or not enough?”
“The fact that this was even a question is indicative of the frustration many are feeling in the community,” said Mark Weinstein, a Transylvania County resident who helped organize independent meetings. “Nobody seems to really be listening. And nobody seems to be able to do anything.”
The women who own boutiques selling undergarments in Asheville know the search for the right bra can be a fraught experience (as many who’ve experienced a meltdown in the dressing room can attest).
“Between caring for patients, handling marketing, managing a team, dealing with landlords and taking a moment for oneself, it’s a whirlwind,” says Autum Kirgan, owner and director of South Slope Acupuncture & Wellness.” My advice? Dive deep into what you love about your business.”
The independent monitor was appointed when HCA, a for-profit health care system, purchased the nonprofit Mission Hospital for $1.5 billion in 2019.
Messino’s decision not to provide acute hematology chemotherapy at Mission comes five months after a National Nurses United union nurse flagged concerns about potential cancer patient harm to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
This summer, Kevin Mahoney decided to return to Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, which he co-founded and where he will focus on educating the younger generation of peer support specialists.
As of late August there were 337 children ages 0-17 in the Buncombe foster care system and another 43 who are 18 or older, according to data provided to The Watchdog. There were 60 foster homes licensed by DSS in Buncombe and 34 licensed relatives as of early September.