From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Mission Health CEO and President Greg Lowe announced on March 4, the removal of the “immediate jeopardy” status for Mission Hospital in Asheville, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on March 4.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services confirmed the status removal following a survey that ended on Feb. 13, after CMS approved the hospital’s Enhanced Plan of Correction on Jan. 29, Lowe noted.

The now-dropped “immediate jeopardy” status for Mission Hospital was designated by CMS for the third time within two years, as News 13 previously reported in January.

To that end, Lowe asserted the following in a March 4 press release:

“Since that time, we have been working diligently to strengthen our patient safety and quality programs. This work has included collaboration with experienced healthcare and quality consultants, as well as focused internal efforts to ensure meaningful and sustainable improvements.”

Specifically, Lowe said Mission Hospital brought in an independent consultant, an expert in health quality, to provide guidance and oversight, to help bring the hospital out of “immediate jeopardy,” News 13 noted.

From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — “Immediate jeopardy” at Mission Hospital has been removed, “but persisting issues have prompted the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to set a new deadline by which the hospital must achieve compliance,” the Asheville Citizen Times reported on March 6.

“If it does not meet the deadline, the hospital could have its Medicare provider agreement terminated,” the ACT added. 

“In a Feb. 27 letter to Mission Hospital CEO Greg Lowe, CMS officials indicated that the ‘immediate jeopardy’ status placed on the hospital in late January had been removed Feb. 13. However, the hospital remained noncompliant with Medicare conditions of participation in the areas of patient rights, nursing services and infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship programs.”