From Staff Reports

RALEIGH — State Attorney General Josh Stein said in a Nov. 28 news release that he feels optimistic about the future of quality health care in Western North Carolina following the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to approve AdventHealth’s Certificate of Need application for acute care beds in Buncombe County.

“Competition in health care lowers cost and improves quality for patients,” Stein’s news release asserted.

“Mission Health System has virtually no hospital competitors in Western North Carolina. 

“That’s why I urged NCDHHS to award the Certificate of Need to a provider other than Mission. 

“My hope is that as a result of NCDHHS’ decision, the people of Western North Carolina will benefit from lower costs and better quality of care,” Stein said in concluding his brief statement.

Stein had previously spoken in opposition to awarding the Certificate of Need to Asheville-based HCA Mission Health.

On Nov. 22, AdventHealth Hendersonville received notification from state health officials that its Certificate of Need application had been approved, meaning the hospital has been awarded the opportunity to fill the need for 67 more acute care beds in the Buncombe-Madison-Yancey-Graham service area that was identified in the state’s 2022 Medical Facilities Plan.