I recently had an outpatient hernia surgery followed by an unexpected return to the emergency room, both occurring at Mission Hospital. During my time there, I was in contact with about two dozen people, from the person at check-in to my surgeon, all with varying degrees of skills.
From each person, I received excellent care and was treated with respect and dignity, and it was refreshing to be with professionals doing their work to the best of their capabilities. I was quickly able to relax with confidence that my comfort and the success of the surgery were of paramount importance to everyone involved.
Despite the transitional hardships inherent in changes as large as what Mission Hospital has been experiencing, I found no evidence of any impact “on the street” where the care is given, and we are very fortunate to have the professional staff currently working at Mission. I give them my sincerest thanks and highest recommendation.
— Chris Abell
Asheville
The staff at Mission has always been great. There are not the problem. It is the change in management that is the problem. It has resulted in the hospital being downgraded from a five star hospital to a four star hospital by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and from A rating to a B rating by The Leapfrog Group.
It also says a lot when the nurses at Mission voted overwhelmingly — 70% to 30% — to join a nurses union AFTER the takeover by a for profit organization, and when more than a dozen doctors have left.
I’m glad the letter writer had a good experience, but given the situation it is likely only a matter of time before the “transitional hardships” begin to show up “on the street.”
The staff who refuse to get the vaccine are a problem. A big one.
A group of citizens has recently filed a lawsuit against HCA/Mission. The real law suit should be against the Mission board members who voted to sell Mission to HCA. No one has fully reported on the process or why no consideration was given to sell Mission to a non-profit entity, such as UNC Medical or Duke Medical.
Dogwood Health Trust should “repurchase” Mission from HCA and return it to community ownership and non-profit status.
It’ll never happen. HCA doesn’t give up a hospital. This was a disastrous decision that has changed WNC healthcare forever. This outcome should have been clearly foreseen by even a cursory examination of the history of for profit HCA.