{"id":6653,"date":"2026-04-04T10:01:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T10:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/04\/mission-hospital-merry-go-round-sparks-call-for-regulatory-change-north-carolina-health-news\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T10:01:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T10:01:29","slug":"mission-hospital-merry-go-round-sparks-call-for-regulatory-change-north-carolina-health-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/04\/mission-hospital-merry-go-round-sparks-call-for-regulatory-change-north-carolina-health-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Mission Hospital \u2018merry-go-round\u2019 sparks call for regulatory change – North Carolina Health News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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North Carolina Health News<\/a>
\t\t\t\t\tNews. Policy. Trends. North Carolina.\t\t\t\t
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Carolina Pubic Press<\/a>
With four \u201cImmediate Jeopardy\u201d citations in five years, Asheville\u2019s Mission Hospital is on a \u201cmerry-go-round\u201d of compliance enforcement by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, one that won\u2019t stop unless either regulators or HCA Healthcare get serious about making meaningful change, according to State Sen. Julie Mayfield<\/strong>.
Mayfield, a Democratic legislator representing Buncombe County, has called on Mission Hospital to address critical issues with staffing and patient care ever since it was purchased in 2019 by Tennessee-based HCA, which owns more than 190 hospitals across the country.
Mission Hospital in particular has faced scrutiny because of numerous noncompliance issues that federal inspectors found over the years. The most severe of these violations can result in an Immediate Jeopardy designation, which is the most serious enforcement finding CMS may issue.
It means that a medical service provider\u2019s noncompliance has placed patients at risk of serious harm or death.
In October, CMS placed Mission Hospital in Immediate Jeopardy after a visit from inspectors revealed preventable patient death, unsafe patient transport, patient misidentification and harmful infection protocol.
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That designation was later removed, but inspectors found\u00a0more deficiencies<\/a>\u00a0during a follow-up visit in January and placed Mission in Immediate Jeopardy once more.
CMS has the option to terminate its agreement with medical service providers who fail to shape up, but that\u2019s not a viable option in this case. The resulting loss of Medicare and Medicaid funding would amount to a death blow for Mission, which is the largest hospital in the region and a critical provider of surgical, maternal and trauma care.
Historically, that is what has kept the merry-go-round of enforcement\u00a0spinning in circles<\/a>.
But Mayfield told CPP she\u2019s \u201cmore hopeful\u201d regarding CMS\u2019 intervention this time around than in past Immediate Jeopardy situations at Mission.
\u201cThe main thing that\u2019s different is that CMS is sort of hanging on to this enforcement action in a way that they have not before,\u201d she said.
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The agency required Mission to hire an independent consultant to help the hospital implement and track its plan to address deficiencies. Bryant Healthcare Consultants, a New Hampshire-based firm, signed on to fill that role.
Mission must also submit monthly reports to CMS outlining its progress in completing its plan, with a deadline of July 26.
\u201cI do think there is a sense of impatience on the part of CMS,\u201d Mayfield said, \u201cand they\u2019re saying, \u2018you\u2019ve got to tell us how you\u2019re progressing with this between now and the end of July.\u2019\u201d
\u201cThey\u2019re going to be watching.\u201d
The other thing that\u2019s got Mayfield hopeful is what she described as mounting pressure on HCA from a bipartisan coalition of officials who are seeking real change.
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On March 5, US Rep. Chuck Edwards<\/strong>, a Republican representing North Carolina\u2019s 11th District, testified<\/a> to an Appropriations Subcommittee that he was drafting a bill which would expand CMS\u2019 enforcement tools for when hospitals are cited for Immediate Jeopardy.
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Although not filed yet, Edwards said this bill, which he dubbed the \u201cHealthcare Accountability Act,\u201d would allow CMS to impose civil monetary penalties, require directed training, appoint temporary management or implement state monitoring for hospitals found in noncompliance.
The agency already has these powers for nursing homes, but not for hospitals.
Right now, Edwards testified, CMS\u2019 only enforcement option for hospitals is to terminate federal funding, which is a nonstarter in most cases.
His bill would also direct CMS to create a public database of hospital Immediate Jeopardy citations.
\u201cIf Immediate Jeopardy represents the highest level of patient safety concern, it warrants full transparency,\u201d Edwards said.
Edwards\u2019 communication director Sydney Jones confirmed to CPP that the bill is still in the process of being drafted and hasn\u2019t yet been introduced.
Meanwhile, the Land of Sky Regional Council, which is a coalition of municipal and county governments in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties, passed a resolution last week urging HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen<\/strong> to come to Western North Carolina to speak with elected officials about their concerns regarding Mission.
\u201cHCA has failed to provide sufficient resources and support for its staff, has failed to act on recommendations from nurses, and has created a culture in which doctors, nurses and staff are hesitant to raise quality of care concerns with management,\u201d one section of the resolution read.
\u201cHCA and Mission Hospital are not transparent or accountable to our community,\u201d it continued.
What both Edwards\u2019 legislation and the Land of Sky Regional Council resolution signify is that the anger over HCA\u2019s handling of Mission isn\u2019t just coming from one side of the aisle.
\u201cThere could be this region-wide call to HCA, across the political spectrum, for them to come talk to us,\u201d Mayfield said.
Despite intense scrutiny over Mission, Tennessee-based HCA is doing very well from a business standpoint.
The company\u2019s revenue rose to $75.6 billion in 2025, a 7% increase compared to the previous year, and its stock price also rose considerably over that time.
At its annual shareholders meeting on April 23, HCA shareholders will consider a proposal made by Mayfield for the company to produce a report examining the impacts of HCA\u2019s hospital acquisitions from the past decade on the communities which those hospitals serve.
Mayfield said she purchased HCA stocks for the express purpose of making the proposal. A similar proposal failed last year after the board of directors urged shareholders to vote \u201cno.\u201d
Mayfield framed HCA\u2019s handling of Mission Hospital since its purchase in 2019 as a legal and financial risk to the company. Although it will almost certainly fail, she wanted to make sure the problems at Mission were top of mind for HCA\u2019s top decisionmakers. 
\u201cI am under no illusions that this resolution will pass,\u201d Mayfield said, \u201cbut the purpose in doing it is to raise the issues that are happening at Mission with other shareholders and to help them understand the risks.\u201d
HCA spokeswoman Nancy Lindell<\/strong> told CPP that the goal at Mission is to create a \u201csustainable framework\u201d to enhance patient safety.
\u201cWe understand the responsibility that we have for the health and safety of our community, and we remain committed to providing high-quality healthcare to our patients,\u201d she said.