ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — In a letter Friday, Mission Hospital CEO Greg Lowe commended staff for their professionalism and resilience during a recent intensive inspection by state and federal health officials.

Surveyors from the North Carolina Department of Health Services Regulation and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services conducted a four-day review at the hospital last week. According to Lowe, the inspection began Tuesday morning and concluded Friday evening, focusing on nursing services, discharge planning, staffing levels and the hospital’s physical environment.

In a statement originally shared in lieu of his regular “Mission Matters” newsletter, Lowe acknowledged the difficulty of the process and thanked hospital employees for maintaining high standards of patient care under increased scrutiny.

“This was a particularly rigorous survey process and even some of those conducting it acknowledged its excessive nature,” Lowe said. “I am proud of how we fully cooperated and believe that the outcome will ultimately be a positive for our patients.”

The inspection stemmed from 35 complaints submitted by unidentified community sources.

According to preliminary findings:

  • 26 complaints were unsubstantiated.
  • 13 were substantiated but resulted in no deficiencies. That means that while the complaints may have been valid, there was nothing found wrong with the care provided.
  • One complaint was substantiated with a deficiency, involving two nurses who entered an isolation room without personal protective equipment (PPE). The hospital will implement a corrective action plan in response.

Lowe noted some complaints addressed during the visit had been resolved in earlier surveys.

While the final report is still pending, Lowe expressed satisfaction with the initial results, emphasizing the hospital’s recent efforts to enhance care delivery were validated during the inspection.

“We are always trying to find ways to innovate to provide better care for our patients, and this process will help fuel ideas to do so,” he said. “This process again reaffirmed that we have an incredible team that can rise to any challenge.”

Lowe concluded by thanking staff for their continued commitment to the hospital’s mission: “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.”