ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Local elected officials, physicians, nurses and community advocates raised concerns Monday about what they described as unsafe patient discharge practices at Mission Hospital, following the facility’s recent Immediate Jeopardy designation.
The concerns were outlined during a morning news conference organized by Reclaim Healthcare WNC, where speakers cited breakdowns in communication, staffing and patient safety during the discharge process.
State Sen. Julie Mayfield closed the event by calling on HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen to come to Asheville to address community concerns about Mission Hospital’s operations.
“We are now elevating our call for transparency and accountability to HCA CEO Sam Hazen,” Mayfield said. “Mr. Hazen, we publicly call on you as the leader of HCA to come to Asheville, meet with Reclaim Healthcare and community leaders, and be accountable to our community for your company’s actions.
The Rev. Shannon Spencer shared her family’s experience involving the January discharge of her mother, which she described as confusing and unsafe.
Spencer said her 91-year-old father arrived at the hospital to visit her mother and was met by her in a wheelchair holding her belongings, without explanation.
“No one explained that plans had changed. No one ensured understanding,” Spencer said, noting that her mother was confused and her father is hard of hearing.
She said discharge instructions were provided without ensuring comprehension and that her father was given a QR code to access a video demonstrating how to administer abdominal injections twice daily, despite not having a device capable of accessing the information.
Spencer said her mother was discharged without pain medication, prescriptions were not available until the following day and home health services were not properly arranged. She also said her family was given an incorrect phone number for follow-up care.
“We were told if we felt she was unsafe, we could just bring her back to the ER,” Spencer said. “That is not a discharge plan. That is a failure of care.”
Spencer said she believes the incident reflects broader issues at the hospital.
“This didn’t just happen to my family,” she said. “And unless something changes, it will happen again.”
Mayfield said Mission Hospital’s repeated regulatory actions and safety concerns are unacceptable.
“The persistent problems at HCA/Mission Hospital that continuously lead to regulatory enforcement and unsafe patient conditions are not normal and are not acceptable,” she said.
Mayfield said community leaders are seeking answers about how HCA plans to permanently improve care, prevent deaths and ensure adequate staffing at the hospital.
“In short, we call on you to tell us how Mission is going to get off of this merry-go-round of enforcement and step up to be a transparent, responsible and caring steward of our community’s health and well-being,” she said.
Efforts to reach Mission Hospital officials for comment Monday afternoon were unsuccessful.