Mission CEO Chad Patrick out in ‘restructuring’ effort, replaced by HCA North Carolina president Greg Lowe

by ANDREW R. JONES

HCA North Carolina Division President Greg Lowe announced to Mission Health’s staff Monday that he will become the Asheville hospital’s CEO, replacing Chad Patrick, according to an email obtained by Asheville Watchdog.

The move comes just months after the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services found Mission Hospital to be in immediate jeopardy, the most serious sanction a hospital can receive, after a late 2023 N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and federal investigation found multiple failures in Mission’s compliance with health and safety regulations.

“I will assume the CEO role for Mission Hospital in Asheville,” Lowe said in the email, which was sent to staff Monday. “This change will allow us to achieve our objectives to:

• Streamline our executive structure to better support Mission Hospital;
• Provide easier access to HCA Healthcare resources and support; and
• Facilitate more direct communication between leadership, medical staff and colleagues.”

Patrick, Lowe said, will become the CEO at HCA Florida Orange Park, where he worked previously. Patrick had been the Asheville hospital’s CEO since 2019, the year HCA purchased it for $1.5 billion.

“These changes come at an opportune time as Chad Patrick shared he is returning to HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital as CEO,” Lowe wrote. “Chad and his family have deep ties to Orange Park, and he is looking forward to leading that great organization, to which he contributed so significantly during his previous tenure.”

Lowe called the move “restructuring” and said it would be “a significant step towards ensuring increased transparency across Mission, driving action-oriented responses to feedback and providing direct access to the vast resources and support of HCA Healthcare.”

“I also want the Mission Health hospitals that are located outside of Asheville to continue to flourish,” Lowe said. “Being part of Mission Health and HCA Healthcare provides much needed capital and other important resources to them in an era in which many smaller hospitals are closing their doors. To further and better support our regional facilities, I am creating a Chief Administrative Officer position that will have direct responsibility for those facilities and will allow for my continued leadership and dual role.”

Lowe said he would be moving his offices to Mission Hospital over the next few weeks.

N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein sued HCA last December, alleging it didn’t keep promises it made — as a condition of getting Stein’s approval to buy Mission in 2019 — to maintain emergency department and cancer care services. Stein is running for governor as a Democrat.

“Any change in leadership offers an opportunity to do things differently and better,” said Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe and a member of Reclaim Healthcare WNC, a coalition whose goals include replacing HCA with a nonprofit owner.

“I sincerely hope this change will result in HCA improving its services to our residents and its support for the medical community,” Mayfield said.

Mission nurses have consistently flagged issues at Mission Hospital after the sale to HCA. They unionized shortly after that deal and their second contract was supposed to be signed and renewed in July. But negotiations fell apart after HCA refused to budge, according to nurses. Now they are threatening to strike, voting overwhelmingly this month in favor of the action.

The hospital and the union may yet reach a deal before the strike goes through.

“HCA continues to ignore what nurses are asking for to provide the care our community needs and deserves,” said union nurse and bargaining team member Kerri Wilson after the vote. “The results of this vote show that nurses are willing to do whatever it takes to take care of our patients, community, and colleagues.”

[Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comments from Mission Health, Sen. Julie Buncombe, D-Buncombe, and union nurse Kerri Wilson.]

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Andrew R. Jones is a Watchdog investigative reporter. Email arjones@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.