From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville-based Mission Hospital has been placed under “immediate jeopardy” following an evaluation from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, a number of media sources reported on Oct. 17. 

Mission Hospital has faced “immediate jeopardy” sanctions three times since 2019 for patient safety violations, nurse.org noted.

In a letter to Mission Hospital, NCDHHS said the hospital failed to properly identify and monitor patients, that nursing staff failed to respond and assess patients with emergency needs, and failed to ensure safe transportation for patients among others.

“The effect of these practices resulted in an unsafe environment for patients,” the letter stated.

The “immediate jeopardy” was placed on the basis of four separate violations in 2025, ranging back to September.

“The NCDHHS recommended to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that Mission Hospital be placed under a 23-day termination due to noncompliance with the conditions of participation for Medicare and Medicaid,” the Asheville Citizen Times reported on Oct. 20.

The Daily Planet contacted Mission Hospital on Oct. 24, seeking its comment on the Immediate Jeopardypunishment and, later that day, received the following statement that was attributed to Lowe:

“We remain confident in the ability of our team to provide compassionate, high-quality care and are committed to continuous improvement in patient safety and clinical excellence. 

“We will continue to work cooperatively with DHHS and CMS to resolve this issue, while keeping our main focus on the community we serve..”

On Oct. 17, Spartanburg, S.C., television station WSPA reported,. “Mission Hospital said they were disappointed by the NCDHHS’s decision to place the hospital under Immediate Jeopardy.

In a statement on Oct. 17 to WPSA, Mission asserted the following:

“While we respect the surveyors’ role, the state regulators have not articulated what insufficiencies exist today given the extensive corrective action plans we have implemented and provided to them.”

WSPA added that Mission Hospital said it had already shared its corrective plans “with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services” and is optimistic that the issue will be resolved.

In February 2024. Mission Hospital was placed under “immediate jeopardy” after a survey found the hospital was not in compliance with six federal regulations for Medicare reimbursements.