ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Two local health care executives engaged in a tense verbal exchange during a question-and-answer session that followed a presentation on a new hospital planned for the Weaverville area during an Oct. 3 meeting of the Asheville-based, pro-business Council of Independent Business Owners in UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center. 

The $300 million proposal calls for a 222-bed facility on 30 acres in Weaverville, with an emergency department, intensive care, women’s services and specialty physician offices. Some officials have said the hospital could generate more than 1,000 jobs once open.

About 50 people attended the 20-minute presentation by Graham Fields, assistant to the president of nonprofit AdventHealth Hendersonville, which concluded with a 30-minute Q&A session.

Fields’ topic was on the “AdventHealth Expansion and Certificate of Need Report.” AdventHealth is based in Florida.

However, during the Q&A session, Greg Lowe, president of for-profit HCA HealthCare’s North Carolina Division based in Mission Hospital in Asheville, atttended the meeting as a regular CIBO member and, as such, fired a number of questions and comments in disagreement with — or even fully challenging — several of Fields’ assertions.

Earlier, CIBO Past President John Carroll opened the meeting, welcoming the attendees, and then called on CIBO board member Steve Foster to lead a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance

Following the words of the Pledge – “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all “ — Foster, as usual, added solemnly, “We hope!”