Meet the new boss… Same as the old boss.
That classic line in rock and roll history was brought to the masses by The Who back in 1971.
The name of the song was “Won’t get fooled again.”
This week’s meeting at Hudson Library in Highlands gave the public the opportunity to meet representatives from Affiliated Monitors, the new company chosen by the Dogwood Health Trust to ensure that Hospital Corporation of America follows through with all of the mandates that were implemented after the purchase of Mission Health in 2019.
While those in attendance expressed their appreciation for Highlands Cashiers Hospital, and those who keep the hospital up and running, the feeling around the meeting was not one of overwhelming positivity.
The original monitoring agency for HCA was Gibbins Advisors, who took on the job in 2019 and provided regular reports to the North Carolina Attorney General’s office regarding HCA’s willingness and ability to follow through with the conditions set forth in the sale of Mission Health. When NC Attorney General Josh Stein filed suit against HCA late last year, citing system-wide issues related to long wait times, lack of specialized care, and staffing shortages, it became clear that Gibbins Advisors was on its way out and that the health trust would be selecting a new monitor.
Enter Affiliated Monitors, and a new staff of well-meaning compliance professionals. Much like Gibbins Advisors before them, there is little doubt that Affiliated Monitors will do its job fairly, impartially, and to the best of its abilities.
But at the end of the day, the state of not only Highlands Cashiers Hospital, but also Memorial Mission in Asheville and the other HCA-owned facilities in Western North Carolina will come down to HCA’s bottom line. And if HCA decides not to comply with the terms of its purchase agreement at Mission Health facilities, the only real recourse will be legal action taken by the state – None of which helps actual patients at HCA facilities in the meantime.
Let’s hope HCA and the powers that be in their board room make the right decisions for healthcare in our region – Regardless of who their monitoring agency is.