08/14/2024
Attend Certificate of Need Hearing
In support of better healthcare in Asheville we are sharing the latest opportunity to make your voice be heard. CAN recommends you read the following email. Your voices make a difference.
RECLAIM HEALTHCARE WNC
HOLDING HCA ACCOUNTABLE
Thank you again for signing up for the RECLAIM HEALTHCARE WNC mailing list. Soon, we will be sending out a regular newsletter to update you about our work and ways you can be involved.
In the meantime, you will receive occasional emails to let you know about upcoming events and actions related to the work we are doing. Please feel free to share this email with others. You can also connect with us on our website or follow us on Facebook.
Below, you will find information about the Certificate of Need (CON) Hearing that will take place on August 19. We are encouraging as many people in the WNC community, who are able, to attend the hearing to let the NC Department of Health and Human Services/Division of Health Service Regulation that WNC residents are invested in the decisions that will be made about the CON and that we want the CON for additional acute care beds to go to a non-profit health system to encourage and support competition for HCA. (Novant and Advent are both non-profit healthcare systems.)
ACTION OPPORTUNITY: WNC residents, this is an opportunity for you to make your voices heard regarding the Certificate of Need process for 26 additional acute care hospital beds in Buncombe County. The hearing will be held on August 19 at 11:00 am in Ferguson Auditorium at AB Tech.
Three applicants have filed certificate of need applications with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to develop acute care beds in response to a need determination in the 2024 State Medical Facilities Plan for 26 acute care beds in Buncombe County.
The applicants propose three projects:
• MH Mission Hospital LLLP proposes to develop 26 acute care beds at Mission Hospital in Asheville for a total of 759 acute care beds. The project is expected to cost $1.6 million and would be completed in July 2025.
• AdventHealth Asheville Inc. and Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corporation propose a change of scope and cost overrun to develop 26 additional acute care beds at AdventHealth Asheville in Weaverville for a total of 93 acute care beds. The project is expected to cost $109.2 million and would be completed in October 2027.
• Novant Health Asheville Medical Center LLC and Novant Health Inc. propose to develop a new acute care hospital, Novant Health Asheville Medical Center in Arden, with 26 acute care beds. The project is expected to cost $249.4 million and would be completed in December 2028.
If you would like to speak during the public comment period of the hearing, below are some of the talking points from Reclaim Healthcare WNC:
• HCA has had five years to demonstrate their commitment to provide the highest quality healthcare possible for the residents of WNC.
• HCA has consistently ignored pleas to fully staff and support essential services at Mission Hospital, and they have failed to make the investments needed to ensure the highest quality healthcare possible.
• HCA's current status as a monopoly in WNC has not served the people of this region well.
• We encourage and support competition for HCA (in this case, either Advent or Novant) for the additional acute care beds in Buncombe County.
• Advent and Novant have values and priorities that are more aligned with the values and priorities of the people of WNC.
• Novant has made a strong commitment to the health care needs of WNC and would bring additional competition to the region.
• Advent has also demonstrated their commitment with the planned new facility in northern Buncombe County.
• Advent or Novant would bring more accessible, affordable, and higher quality healthcare to WNC.
• Advent or Novant would succeed where HCA has failed.
Thank you for your support of Reclaim Healthcare WNC and for joining us as we advocate for accessible, affordable, quality healthcare for the people of WNC.
--
Missy Harris
Program Coordinator
RECLAIM HEALTHCARE WNC
[email protected]
828-367-9480
