An address on “The State of Health Care in the Region” — stressing Mission Health’s role — was given by Greg Lowe, president of HCA Healthcare’s North Carolina Division, during a breakfast meeting of the Asheville-based Council of Business Owners on June 2 in UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center.

The other speaker at the meeting was Melina Arrowood, chief operating officer of Behavioral Health Services, at Asheville-based Mission Health, which is owned by HCA Healthcare. (A separate story on Arrowood’s talk appears on Page A10.)

“Where in North Carolina can you get this much information as in our meetings?” asked emcee CIBO Past President John Carroll of the 50-plus people in attendance. Carroll introduced the two guest speakers in place of the usual emcee, CIBO President Buzzy Cannady, who was unable to attend

Lowe began by noting, “First and foremost, we are part of HCA Healthcare,” with 180-plus acute care hospitals... We cover primarily 18 counties in Western North Carolina, but we also serve many patients from adjoining areas to Western North Carolina.... We are the provider of choice in Western North Carolina....”

Lowe also said that Mission Health $3 million-plus in charity care “to patients in need” in WNC, noting that that total exceeds “what it was before (for-profit) HCA took over” from the previously nonprofit Mission Health System.

What’s more, he asserted, “We (HCA’s Mission Health) pay taxes — over $16 million per year – and that didn’t happen before, when the six-hospital system was a nonprofit. (Mission Healthcare claims 12,000-plus “colleages” on its website, but Lowe spoke of 10,000-plus workers during his address.)

Next, Lowe turned to the topic of “recruiting and retaining a resilient care team at Mission Health” which he termed the top priority. “We’re somewhat more isolated in Western North Carolina than some other places, but we’re still moving ahead.”

Among the many initiatives he noted that Mission Health has taken to attract and retain employees, he listed the following:

• “We help our new recruits be successful

• “Our nursing schools in the area are incredible — number one is A-B Tech

• “In some cases, we offer financial assistance for faculty, in some cases, for students.”

In addition, Lowe said, “Some of our nurses serve as adjunct faculty.” Besides heaping deep praise on A.B. Tech’s efforts, he also praised Mission Health’s partnerships with Galen College of Nursing (at Biltmore Park in South Asheville) and Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

He also noted that Mission Health offers “lots of sign-on bonuses,” along with benefits, “as we try to solve problems to make employment at Mission feasible to as many prospects as possible.

Lowe reiterated, “So retention of our employees is number one... During the pandemic, we did not lay off one person when the pandemic hit,” adding that Mission Health believes in “investing in — and celebrating — our colleagues (employees).”

Continuing, he said, to invite diversity in the workforce, “We have a veterans network, black, LGBTQ” and others — “it creates a sense of connection with our employees, even if it’s just getting together at a brewery.”

After a pause, he noted, “HCA Health is the largest provider of medical care — more than any other institution — in the United States.

This year, Lowe said, “We started our transitional year with MAHEC (Mountain Area Health Education Center).”

He said the Mission Health and MAHEC parnership is “shaping the future of medicine.”

What’s more, Lowe asserted, “The reason we want to expand on our residencies and fellowships, is that when we train them here, we see a greater tendency for them to stay in Western North Carolina” when the training is completed.

“MAHEC is just an outstanding partner that we work with,” Lowe said.

He then said, “We encourage our employees to volunteer. I’m passionate about that. For every 10 hours, we donate $200 in cash cards... With 10,000 employees at HCA Mission,” that total donation tends to add up

“We have a massive foundation internationally,” Lowe said. “So I’m encouraging businesses in the community to do what we’re doing. Encourage your employees to volunteer.”

In its effort to widen its employment base, he noted, “We are making a concerted effort to get out to our young adults. And it’s not just nursing. We need them working (in any of many departments) because the demand for health care is so great in Western North Carolina. So a lot of good things are happening with our employees.”

For example, Lowe said, “We (Mission) are the second-busiest trauma center in North Carolina. When trauma happens, Mission has a tremendous team to respond.

He also said that Mission’s flagship hospital in Asheville “is the only pediatric hospital with a pediatric emergency room in North Carolina. No other hospital is certified...

“We are the only three-star thoracic surgery center...  We’ve also been named a top 50 hospital in many ratings....”

Indeed, Lowe said, “When we (HCA Healthcare) came to Asheville, Mission Hospital was a “C”-grade hospital, and we brought it up to an “A” — this is based on health care outcomes...

“What we’re really excited about is our “growing to serve” business model.

To that end, he said Angel Medical Center opened in September 2020 in Franklin — and “the community just has been super-engaged!”

Also, he noted, “We have well over $150 million in capital projects underway at Mission Hospital... Right now, we’re trying to expand our emergency rooms in South Asheville and West Asheville.

“In WNC, you have one ER” (emergency room) — at Asheville’s Mission Hospital. “We need to off-load some of that from” Mission Healthcare’s flagship, “so we want to build free-standing ERs... We would love your support... There are other health-care agencies that don’t want us to do that.

Regarding the hoped-for two new ERs, he said, “They’re about $150 million investments — each.”

In closing his presentation, Lowe even noted that Mission Health, in its efforts to attract and retain the best workers, goes so far as even to offer “employee benefit consulting” to prospects.