The CEO of HCA Healthcare met with Western North Carolina leaders last week to address concerns about Transylvania Regional Hospital.
The meeting comes after Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof sent a letter to CEO Samuel Hazen about growing complaints and concerns at the hospital, including the loss of physicians/healthcare providers, reduction in staffing levels, and the closure of the only adult care facility in Transylvania County.
“We need to look at the issues from a systemic standpoint, you know what’s going on, what’s the underlying issue if the same thing is brought up my multiple people it tells there’s a bigger problem,” said Mayor Maureen Copelof.
The mayor was pleasantly surprised when the CEO agreed to meet with her and two former members of the Transylvania Regional Hospital Board of Trustees, Mark Weinstein and Parker Platt. Both resigned from their positions last year.
“There was no ability from that perch in order to make any change in the things that we knew had to change in this area,” Weinstein said.
“What I wanted to be sure of is that he understood that they had a very challenged, if not failed relationship, with our community,” Platt said.
The group said they are encouraged that Hazen came to meet with them last week, but now they want to see action.
“We just need to see what that next step is, and we’ll be there to help it along if we believe in it,” Weinstein said.
During the meeting, all parties agreed to the formation of a community council to work through issues between the hospital and community. The council is still in the early planning stages.
“I’m cautiously optimistic. I’m optimistic that Mr. Hazen came out and listened to us, I’m optimistic that the hospital is wanting to establish this new forum with us, but I want to see results,” said Mayor Copelof.
Mission Health Spokesperson Nancy Lindell sent News 13 the following statement:
We were pleased to welcome HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen to Transylvania Regional Hospital last week and to meet with Brevard Mayor Copelof and other community members. Sam values relationships with local leaders and wanted to reassure Mayor Copelof that he shares her commitment to making Mission Health a success in serving the Brevard community.
We discussed HCA Healthcare’s more than $14 million investment in TRH in the past three years in several significant and much needed infrastructure projects such as roofing, renovation of three operating rooms, and replacing both the MRI and CT and adding a new helipad.
Mission Health selected HCA Healthcare because it offered the financial stability to help preserve and expand high-quality healthcare for generations. The COVID-19 pandemic brought unforeseen challenges, but we are confident we are moving forward. We are hiring a new surgeon for TRH and a new provider has been caring for Toxaway Health Center patients for several months. In addition, both area primary care practices have been renovated, and five new primary care providers have been recruited in recent months.
We were encouraged by one community member’s suggestion to form a community advisory group with CEO Michele Pilon and work together to constructively communicate and demonstrate our commitment to the hospital, the Brevard community and to the quality care that has always been delivered.