From Staff Reports

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has opened an investigation into Mission Hospital’s emergency department, according to Asheville television station WLOS (News 13).

Specifically, News 13 reported on Nov 17 that it “has confirmed DHHS brought in nurse investigators to take a close look at the operations inside the emergency department. A nurse who works there said investigators actually started on-site last week (mid-November). 

“Investigators came into town and our union, National Nurses United, actually started making complaints and tracking issues over about the last two years,” Mission ER nurse Hannah Drummond told News 13 on Nov. 17. “We have tracked specific incidences with specific patients that we’ve given them information for them to follow up. They’re investigating a little over 40 cases.”

The TV station added that a DHHS spokeswoman confirmed in a statement that “‘DHHS staff have been on-site this week at Mission Hospital.’ But she said, ‘Complaints are confidential, and we can’t comment on complaints.’

“Mission is also the focus of state Attorney General Josh Stein, who is looking into quality of care issues and alleges a contract breach with the departure of Mission’s oncology offerings in many areas.”

In response to the launch of the state health department’s investigation, Mission released the following statement:

“Surveys from agencies that govern hospital quality and safety occur regularly and are welcome at Mission Hospital.”

What’s more, the following appeared recently in the comment bubble that followed the News 13 story:

• Ananisapta  — “For-profit healthcare is understandably suspect, but we have more and worse problems: lack of qualified providers, especially doctors and nurses, a chaotic payment system that ties up delivery systems in heavy paperwork burdens, and the public’s failure to take common-sense precautions such as vaccinations and healthy lifestyles.”

• AvlNC — “HCA, like just about everything in Asheville, is in a very sad state.” 

• Crescent41 — “HCA is the problem......Their  execs and shareholders are happy, the workers and customers are the losers....pretty much like all big business in USA......”