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Mission Health permanently shutters Asheville Specialty Hospital. By Andrew R. Jones Asheville Watchdog Mission Health has permanently closed Asheville Specialty Hospital, the only long-term acute care hospital in western North Carolina, less than two months after suspending its services following Tropical Storm Helene.
Answers to questions about Medicaid expansion - NC Health News
Dec 1, 2023 · By Jaymie Baxley. Medicaid expansion finally launched Friday in North Carolina, giving an estimated 600,000 low-income residents across the state access to health insurance.
NC pharmacists step up to provide contraception services | NC …
Jan 11, 2024 · From left to right: Betsey Tilson, state health director; Mollie Scott, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy regional associate dean; Jennifer Burch, pharmacist in Durham; Angela Smith, director of pharmacy and ancillary services at NC Medicaid; and Sen. Mike Woodard (D-Durham) at Central Pharmacy in Durham on Jan. 10.
Mental health providers want to help WNC after Helene disaster
Oct 10, 2024 · Crisis numbers and support groups. The Disaster Distress Helpline is a national multilingual hotline that offers crisis counseling 24/7. Call or text: 800-985-5990. Para Español: Llama o envía un mensaje de texto 1-800-985-5990 presiona “2.” National suicide and crisis lifeline: call or text 9-8-8 anywhere in the United States 24/7 for help and local resources.
Atrium Health cancels thousands of past medical debt judgments
Sep 20, 2024 · Treasurer: Lives have already been ruined. A study conducted by Duke University and the North Carolina Treasurer’s Office revealed that from January 2017 to June 2022, Atrium Health filed 2,482 lawsuits against patients, with an average judgment amount of $22,953.. State Treasurer Dale Folwell, a longtime critic of the state’s hospitals, said in a …
The rise of mega-hospitals - North Carolina Health News
Apr 22, 2024 · Studies: As hospitals grow, prices rise. Growth may help hospitals save money, but patients may not benefit from those cost savings. A substantial body of research has found that hospital mergers lead to higher prices for patients, with increases ranging from 6 percent to 30 percent in concentrated markets. Even mergers of hospitals not close to each other have been shown to raise prices.
Atrium Health: A unit of ‘local government’ like no other
Feb 5, 2024 · Deliberating behind closed doors. In a 2021 court case in which Atrium sought to preserve its antitrust exemptions, the hospital emphasized in court filings that as a governmental unit, it “must comply with North Carolina’s public records and open meetings laws.” The law says public bodies are not just supposed to conduct their …
Western NC hospitals challenged but operational in Helene’s wake
Oct 1, 2024 · Challenges persist. The initial days of hurricane response have felt like a furious sprint, said Rob Hudspeth, a senior leader at UNC Health Appalachian, which has three hospitals in western North Carolina.He’s run from hospital incident command meetings to then getting in his car to help with patient transport and other needs in between.
People behind bars grapple with impacts from Helene
Nov 8, 2024 · Update Nov. 20: Jodi Harrison, N.C. Department of Adult Correction’s general counsel, responded on Nov. 19 to the coalition of advocates who called for the release of incarcerated people in response to prison conditions after Helene. In her letter, Harrison refuted many of the conditions described by advocates and dismissed using strategies for early release employed during the COVID-19 ...
Asheville hospital poses threat to patients' health, says state report
Jan 23, 2024 · By Andrew R. Jones. Asheville Watchdog. Mission Hospital risks losing Medicare and Medicaid funding because of deficiencies in care that were so severe, state inspectors concluded last month, that they “posed immediate jeopardy to patients’ health and safety,” Asheville Watchdog has learned. “Immediate jeopardy” is the …