ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) -- North Carolina Senator Julie Mayfield is calling on HCA to sell Mission Hospital.
Mayfield and Reclaim HealthCare WNC, a regional healthcare coalition, spoke out Friday after a recent "preventable" death took place in Mission Hospital's emergency department.
"Just over a year ago, I stood at this podium sounding the alarm over the quality of care at Mission Hospital," said Mayfield.
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Mayfield spoke when Mission was notified of non-compliance with federal standards involving "immediate jeopardy" violations that put patients' health and safety at risk. Other coalition members spoke at the briefing, including longtime Asheville internist Dr. Clay Ballantine. He shared a story of a patient's concerns about getting admitted.
"He and his wife and their daughter who works at Mission refused to let me admit him to Mission," said Ballantine.
Mission Hospital Emergency Department nurse Ashley Bunting spoke on recent revelations regarding the patient who died in the hospital's care.
"A patient who should have survived lost their life not because we weren't skilled enough, not because we didn't try, [but] because, in my opinion, we didn't have the staff to care for them," said Ashley Bunting, a Mission nurse. That's the reality of unsafe staffing. It could kill."
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"Time is our enemy," said Tom Kelly, Riceville fire chief, referring to taking cardiac patients to Mission. "They can't get that care if they're sitting on a stretcher on a wall waiting to have someone make contact with them."
Nurses who spoke at the briefing claimed many patients are "boarded," left sitting on gurneys in halls because there's no hospital room available for them.
"In addition to the recent death that's received media attention, there appears to have been one other preventable death in the hospital about five weeks ago," Mayfield said.
News 13 asked Sen. Mayfield what interactions she's had with Mission HCA CEO Greg Lowe.
"While I have not sat down across the table and had this particular conversation with him and other hospital leadership, they certainly are aware of our concerns," said Mayfield.
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Lowe has declined News 13's repeated requests to discuss community concerns about the hospital and patient care.
"We need answers from HCA about the connection between these patient deaths and staffing," said Mayfield.
Mayfield will welcome state and federal inspectors to return to the hospital and investigate its recent "preventable" death, as well as the alleged death of a patient last month.