Ongoing updates on health-related resources in Western North Carolina for Saturday, Oct. 5

The following is an ongoing list of news about health-related resources in Western North Carolina in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene. This list will be updated as new information comes in:

• Oct. 5: Press release from Nancy Lindells, spokesperson for Mission Health: 

The city of Asheville and the surrounding areas continue to work through infrastructure challenges caused by Hurricane Helene. HCA Healthcare’s Mission Health hospitals have remained open and caring for patients since the storm thanks to the tremendous efforts of our colleagues and physicians.

• HCA Healthcare colleagues, including approximately 400 nurses from Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Kansas, Utah and California, arrived to provide support and relief for our Mission Hospital caregivers
• More than 40 physicians from HCA Healthcare hospitals have been dispatched from other regions to support the community
• We have cared for more than 1,800 patients and delivered more than 50 babies since the start of the storm.
• We have the staff and resources to treat all patients, including trauma patients, that come to our hospital via ambulance or through our emergency room
• Visit Missionhealth.org/Helene for information on services, regional hospitals, clinics and more
• We are providing daily necessities to Mission Hospital including:
  • Water trucks that supply more than 200,000 gallons of water per day
• Hundreds of thousands of bottles of water
• Tens of thousands of gallons of fuel
• Satellite data networks
• Mobile units including kitchens, bathrooms and handwashing stations
• We set up Mini Marts inside our hospitals to provide our colleagues with free groceries including food, water and toiletries. We have also set up laundry, sleep and shower facilities.
• So far more than 550 HCA Healthcare colleagues have received nearly $600,000 in emergency financial assistance from the HCA Healthcare Hope Fund, an employee-run, employee-supported 501(c)(3) charity that provides financial aid and resources to employees after an extended illness, injury, or disaster
• We are contributing $1 million toward disaster relief efforts, including $250,000 to the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, $250,000 to the American Red Cross of North Carolina and an additional $500,000 to other community partners that provide direct support for hurricane related issues

This is a difficult time and we are doing all we can to bring help and relief to those in need. Given the ongoing water issues in the city of Asheville, it is important to preserve as much potable water as possible for general hospital use. We are exploring alternative ways, including the drilling of additional wells, to provide water to cool our HVAC units so we can continue to maintain proper temperatures in our hospital. We are hopeful that the Asheville community’s infrastructure will be restored soon, but we have contingency plans in place and will continue to evaluate how best to take care of our patients and our colleagues.

• Oct. 4:  Mercy Urgent Care clinic in Burnsville, located at 41 Charlie Brown Rd., will reopen on Friday Oct. 4 with the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This clinic joins six of the other locations — Brevard, Burnsville, Columbus, Waynesville, Weaverville, and West Asheville  — that have reopened since Hurricane Helene impacted Western North Carolina.The hours for the seven clinics currently accepting patients are as follows:Mercy Urgent Care South Asheville at 1833 Hendersonville Rd., 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  Mercy Urgent Care West Asheville at 1201 Patton Ave, 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  Mercy Urgent Care Weaverville at 61 Weaver Blvd, 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  Mercy Urgent Care Waynesville at 124 Frazier St., 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  Mercy Urgent Care Foothills at 140 West Mills St., 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  Mercy Urgent Care Brevard at 22 Trust Ln, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  Mercy Urgent Care Burnsville at 41 Charlie Brown Rd. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

  The Mercy Urgent Care clinic in East Asheville remains closed at this time. Hours for all eight locations can be found at mercyurgentcare.org/locations.

• Oct. 4: FastMed location at 160 Hendersonville Road has reopened. The clinic will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Both urgent care and primary care services are available and FastMed accepts most insurance plans. FastMed also will be reopening its Candler clinic on 511 Smokey Park Highway in Candler on Saturday morning. The clinic will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. In Hendersonville, the FastMed location at 825 Spartanburg Highway reopened earlier this week. It is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays-Sundays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Oct 4: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is working with state, federal and local partners to help North Carolinians impacted by Hurricane Helene access needed health care. Temporary changes to NC Medicaid will allow people to more easily refill prescriptions early, get medically necessary services, be admitted to a nursing home and more.Flexibilities are active through Oct. 15, and are intended to:Ensure people can get their medicine. People covered by NC Medicaid will be able to fill their prescriptions early, including people who have temporarily relocated out of state due to the emergency.
  Ensure children with complex medical needs and adults with disabilities or serious health conditions are safe. Case managers are implementing required disaster plans for Community Alternatives Program for Children and Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults.
  Make it easier for health care providers to participate in Medicaid as part of disaster relief. To ensure there are medical professionals on the ground, health care providers can apply to be a NC Medicaid provider through a temporary, expedited process.
  Ensure people get medically necessary services. NC Medicaid providers will not need to get prior authorization for medically necessary drugs, equipment and supplies provided during the Hurricane Helene emergency. People covered by NC Medicaid who have temporarily relocated out of state due to the emergency will be reimbursed for medically necessary services.
  Maintain support for people with traumatic brain injury or intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. When direct support is not available due to the emergency, relatives may provide Community Living and Supports, Supported Employment and Supported Living. People who have temporarily relocated out of state due to the emergency may receive Innovations Waiver services without prior authorization, including respite. And NC Medicaid will cover the replacement or repair of homes or vehicle modifications damaged by Hurricane Helene.
  Help hospitalized patients have continuity of care. Hospitals in affected counties that participate in Medicare and are approved to provide post-hospital skilled nursing facility care can do so for patients who no longer need acute care. They can provide this care for patients that are unable to find placement in skilled nursing facility.
  Expedite the process for someone to be admitted to a nursing home. People covered by NC Medicaid who have been displaced due to the emergency will not need to have a Preadmission Screening and Resident Review.
  Access private duty nursing. People covered by NC Medicaid will not need prior authorization for private duty nursing that is medically necessary.
• Oct. 4: Pardee Hospital and emergency department remain open 24/7 for emergent medical care. Pardee Cancer Center will resume normal operations today.
  The following locations will be open today, Friday, Oct. 4:
  Carolina Lung and Sleep at Pardee (CLASP)
  Outpatient Radiology / Breast Imaging
  Pardee BlueMD – 1027 Fleming St., Hendersonville (9 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee BlueMD – 1409 Asheville Hwy., Brevard  (9 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee BlueMD – 1824 Pisgah Dr., Laurel Park (9 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee BlueMD – 2695 Hendersonville Rd., Suite 200, Arden  (9 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee BlueMD – 2775 Hendersonville Rd., Arden  (9 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee BlueMD – 611 5th Ave. West, Hendersonville (9 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee BlueMD – 6503 Brevard Rd., Etowah (10 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee Cancer Center
  Pardee Cardiology Associates, Brevard
  Pardee Cardiology Associates, Hendersonville
  Pardee Center for Infectious Disease
  Pardee Comprehensive Wound Healing Center
  Pardee Home Health
  Pardee Neurology Associates, Arden (9 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee Neurology Associates, Brevard (9 am – 4 pm)
  Pardee Neurology Associates, Hendersonville (9 am – 4pm)
  Pardee OB/GYN Associates – 617 6th Ave. West
  Pardee Pain Center
  Pardee Physical Therapy, Brevard
  Pardee Physical Therapy, Hendersonville (Thompson St.)
  Pardee Rx – Fleming
  Pardee Surgical Associates, Hendersonville
  Pardee Urgent Care, Brevard
  Pardee Urgent Care, Fletcher
  Pardee Urgent Care, Hendersonville
  Pardee Urgent Care, Mills River
  Pardee Urological Associates
  Pardee @Work, Thompson St.
  PATHS at Pardee
  Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics – Asheville Hwy., Thompson St., Waynesville
  Vascular Surgery at Pardee
  Patients with scheduled surgeries and procedures will be contacted regarding their appointment.
  CLOSINGS / CANCELLATIONS
  10/4 Mammo on the Go in Brevard is canceled.
  Pardee BlueMD practices not listed above are closed.
  Pardee specialty practices not listed above are closed.
  Pardee Physical Therapy locations not listed above are closed.
  Patients can expect a call to reschedule appointments in the coming days.Please continue to look for updates on our social channels and at www.pardeehospital.org.
• Oct. 4:  The American Lung Association shares proven cleanup tips to reduce health risks for residents impacted by Hurricane Helene:Wear protective gear. During cleanup, you risk inhaling and coming into contact with dust, building materials, contaminants and microorganisms. Wear disposable gloves, goggles and an N95 mask.
  Turn off the electricity and gas at the cleanup site. Do not use portable gasoline- or diesel-powered generators, power washers, grills, camp stoves or other gasoline, propane or charcoal-burning equipment and other devices inside or close to open windows. These produce carbon monoxide that can kill occupants if it builds up indoors.
  Use soap and water for cleaning, especially to scrub mold off hard, nonporous surfaces. Do not use bleach, which can make it hard to breathe.
  When in doubt, toss it out. Remove everything that has been soaked by water, including clothing, papers, furnishings, carpet, ceiling tiles and wallboard. Anything that cannot be cleaned and dried and anything porous (like drywall and carpet) that had been in floodwaters for 24 to 48 hours must be discarded. Simply drying out water will not remove the bacteria or toxins that can make people sick.
  If possible, consider hiring professional cleaners. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends hiring professional cleaners if more than 10 square feet of your home is flooded or if water has been in the building for more than one or two days. Floodwaters bring in residue that may contaminate porous building materials. Mold flourishes in this environment and attempting to clean without professional help may increase the risk of developing respiratory problems.
• Oct. 3: Mercy Urgent Care clinic in South Asheville at 1833 Hendersonville Rd. will reopen on Thursday, October 3 from the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. This clinic joins five of the other locations — Brevard, Columbus, Waynesville, Weaverville, and West Asheville  — that have reopened since Hurricane Helene impacted Western North Carolina.

The hours for the previously reopened clinics remain the same — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week for the Brevard location; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week for the Columbus location; and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week for the Waynesville, Weaverville and West Asheville locations. The hours for the six clinics accepting patients are:
Mercy Urgent Care South Asheville at 1833 Hendersonville Rd., 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Mercy Urgent Care West Asheville at 1201 Patton Ave, 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Mercy Urgent Care Weaverville at 61 Weaver Blvd, 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Mercy Urgent Care Waynesville at 124 Frazier St., 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Mercy Urgent Care Foothills at 140 West Mills St., 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Mercy Urgent Care Brevard at 22 Trust Ln, 9a-5p

The Mercy Urgent Care clinics in Burnsville and East Asheville remain closed, with hopes of reopening the Burnsville location by the end of the week.

• Oct. 3: Blue Cross NC has made emergency adjustments to its policies to help members in western North Carolina get the care they need:

·       Blue Cross NC is contacting members with critical health needs to connect them to care and needed supplies.

·       Members and employers in impacted areas have an extra 30 days to pay their premiums.

·       Telehealth is available for members who aren’t able to see a provider in person, including telephone or audio-only visits.

·       Members can request early prescription refills to restore lost or missing medications and opt to transfer their prescriptions to a different pharmacy if their regular pharmacy is not available. To locate an open pharmacy in western North Carolina, visit https://www.ncbop.org/emergencyoperatingpharmacieshelene.html

These measures will remain in effect through the state of disaster declaration and will be re-evaluated as necessary. Additional information on these flexibilities is available at www.bluecrossnc.com/helene, and doctors, hospitals and other providers can find the latest updates on the Provider News Page.
Members who have questions about their coverage or who need help accessing care, should call the number on the back of their member ID card.