Ashvegas commenter offers a Mission Hospitals backgrounder

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Here’s one person’s version of how we got to where we are with Mission Hospitals:

As I recall this mess got started in the early 2000s. At that time there was an economic downturn, business had slowed,new businesses were not coming to the area and the cost of medical care was adjudged by several businessmen to be too high and contributory to the problem.

Some of these businessmen (property/land developement, textiles, paper,h eavy equipment)(some of whom were on the MMH board and still are) held meetings with several medical groups,employers threatened to send their insured to other areas for care and as I recall not much beneficial happened. Bob Burgin was leaving and a search committee appointed by the board came up with the current administration.

>This came from Michigan but had been in Greenville SC earlier (something an investigative reporter should look into). The idea was to cut costs so everyone but the health care industry could flourish. This led to the idea of a Mission based PPO or HMO which was found to be more difficult than expected.The other idea was to hire hospital based MDs on a short term contract and squeeze them in later contracts as well as abusing them as employees–ie the trauma surgeon debacle.

The idea of buying practices, which has happened is also in vogue. Terminating experienced nurses who are more expensive (but more than worth it) in lieu of recent graduates who are less costly but less experienced. In addition nurses with decades of experience are made to “re apply” for their job so they could be further intimidated. ICU nurses have been leaving for the VA–the adm answer to this is the VA only has a few places for nurses–what a way to address the problem. Nurses who have had experience for years in a specialty and who know best how to manage patients with problems in their realm of competence are being randomly shifted to other areas.

In the meantime Haywood County Hospital ran into trouble and MMH was talking to them about assistance–when lo and behold along comes Carolinas Medical and is now set up in Haywood and Jackson Counties. This could block referrals from the west if they get stronger. Angel Community Hospital in Franklin is apparently in discussions with someone. St Lukes has been nipped by Spartanburg. Pardee and Park Ridge Transylvania, who knows. To the east ,Hickory, WInston-Salem and Carolinas are active. It would be somewhat ironic if we were left with a huge hospital for Buncombe, Madison, McDowell and Avery counties.

We spent decades establishing a great hospital,medical care and referral patterns and to see this is disturbing. Medicine is changing throughout the US and we all realize this, but as Dr.Jon Silver said–this is local and is not representative of other areas. I hate to ramble but if the board thinks by going around chatting with the groups who are raising concern is going to correct this problem then they must have an insite I really dont think the board as it is currently, although competent in their individual endeavors,really understands the depth of the problem. Unfortunately boards only know as much as they are told by those running the board–administration. Where is ACTimes,the community wants to know??