Mission Hospital Faces Serious Patient Safety Concerns

Mission Hospital, part of the HCA Healthcare network, has been flagged for numerous patient safety issues. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services uncovered these problems during a survey in September. The findings were so severe that they could lead to federal regulators placing the hospital in "immediate jeopardy." This is the most serious deficiency a hospital can face, potentially resulting in the loss of Medicare and Medicaid payments.

Critical Incidents Revealed

The survey, conducted over two five-day periods, revealed several critical incidents. These included:

• Failures in patient identification
• Monitoring lapses
• Infection prevention breaches

Nurses were also found to have neglected assessing a patient with urgent needs and ensuring proper monitoring during transport. These lapses created an unsafe environment for patients, according to the state health department.

Hospital's Response and Federal Involvement

Despite these issues, the hospital has reportedly addressed some problems related to infection prevention. However, the state has forwarded its findings to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The federal agency has not yet responded due to a government shutdown.

Previous Concerns and Incidents

These recent problems come after a group called Reclaim Healthcare WNC held a press conference. They demanded more transparency from Mission Hospital regarding preventable deaths linked to the hospital's telemetry system. Earlier this year, the group also raised concerns about understaffing after a patient died in a hospital bathroom. One staff member was fired following an internal investigation.

In 2024, Mission Hospital was also placed in immediate jeopardy after four patient deaths and violations of Medicare regulations. By February, the hospital had addressed these issues and was removed from immediate jeopardy status.