Physicians at Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Hospital narrowly voted against governing documents that could have "punished physicians who criticized the hospital," the Citizen Times reported Nov. 16.
The bylaws and policies could have placed physicians in professional review for making degrading, demeaning or condescending comments about the hospital, or dispute quality of care in patient notes. They also would have made physicians pay hospital legal fees if they challenged the hospital in court over professional review decisions and lost. In addition, the documents would have given HCA's board discretion to terminate privileges for physicians.
A total of 202 members voted against the governing documents and 201 voted in favor.
"We are pleased with our physicians' engagement in participating in this process and vote," Mission Hospital spokesperson Nancy Lindell told the Citizen Times. Options for the next step will be presented at a Dec. 1 Medical Executive Committee, hospital officials said.
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare bought Mission Health system in 2019.