Mission Health of Asheville was acquired in February by HCA Healthcare for $ 1.5 billion. (Photo: Citizen-Times file photo)

The series of hot questions today, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:

Question: I do not work at the Mission Hospital and I have never done it. But I have many friends who do it. Several of them have independently shared with me that the culture has changed since the few weeks following the purchase and management of Hospital Corporation of America. According to what has been said, the focus of HCA on the "productivity effectiveness goals" has not been cautiously and created considerable stress for employees and supervisors. Apparently, the focus is on staffing efficiency, so people are sent home a few hours before the end of their shift. A friend suffered a 10% salary loss for this week. I am told that employees can use their "accumulated personal time" to compensate for lost hours. But this "personal time" is made up of vacations and sick leave, etc. So it's not a very attractive way to fill up your lack of hours, especially when you earn that personal time. Doubling when one has immediate bills to pay and food to put on the table. I realize that HCA wants to make the hospital more efficient. It's good. But it seems to me that they undermine the very asset that makes Mission a hospital of high quality: its inhabitants. In addition, it was said that HCA could have a negative impact on patient safety because some departments ended up with fewer staff than needed sometimes. By reducing morale and efficiency through short-term "efficiency" and poorly implemented, is HCA cutting the face of his business despite his face? And the health of the citizens of western North Carolina may be the victim. Is this culture change really happening and can HCA / Mission change course?

My answer: On a more positive note, Mission is on hand to help with cosmetic surgery of the nose replacement after removal of patients.

Real answer: "In the past, Mission has continued to be very flexible with its staff, like many other health care organizations," said hospital spokesperson. Mission, Nancy Lindell. "At the heart of everything we do, we apply the same compassion and commitment we have to our patients to our co-workers."

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HCA and Mission, previously a Nashville-based, non-profit health care system, concluded their $ 1.5 billion contract in February. HCA now owns the Mission Health system, while funds provided by HCA have enabled the creation of the Dogwood Health Trust, a private non-profit organization dedicated to improving health in the region.

As a company, HCA has had problems with staffing levels, especially with nurses. On March 30, the New York Times published an article entitled "Nurses Strike in New York: The Threat Rises Above the Staffing Threshold."

More: WNC residents want more protection for rural hospitals as part of the Mission-HCA agreement

"Last year, staffing disputes were a central topic when nurses from five states stung and threatened to go on strike in hospitals run by HCA, one of the largest providers of health care of the country, "says the article.

You'll find the full article here: www.nytimes.com/2019/03/30/nyregion/nyc-nurses-strike.html

Last September, the Tampa Bay Times published an article entitled "Nurses in Many HCA Hospitals Say They Are Ready to Strike for Compensation, Recruitment and Security". You can find this article here: https://bit.ly/2LZlwAT

It is therefore clear that staffing and efficiency are major concerns in HCA hospitals.

More: Answer Man: In the Mission-HCA affair, what becomes of St. Joseph?

Answer Man does not deal with the issue in depth, but I'm sure the paper will keep an eye on the progress of HCA's ownership of Mission and we're happy to be able to talk to employees about their experiences.

For the moment, Mission has made rather brief and pleasant remarks. Lindell emphasized that Mission wanted to be a good place to work and a world-class health care system.

"We are working hard to create a place where employees feel empowered to provide the best possible care while pursuing a rewarding career and a balanced life," Lindell said. "We love our family and take seriously our responsibility for the health and well-being of our patients and colleagues."

That's the opinion of John Boyle. Contact him at 828-232-5847 or [email protected]

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