An independent monitor hired to oversee Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare's compliance with obligations stemming from its acquisition of Mission Health has responded after patients, staff and elected officials raised concerns about the takeover during a series of meetings across Western North Carolina, according to TV station WLOS.
Gibbins Advisors, the firm hired to monitor compliance, said hundreds of people have voiced comments and questions over the past four months. Though Gibbins Advisors' purview pertains to the 15 obligations within HCA's asset purchase agreement with Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health, the firm is logging all feedback.
"We emphasized [during the meetings] that the independent monitor is not involved in resolving individual or group concerns or grievances, but to the extent those comments are indicative of compliance issues that fall within our scope, they will be used in our evaluation process," Gibbins Advisors said in a statement, according to WLOS. "Whether or not concerns voiced relate to the HCA commitments within our scope, we are logging the information and channeling to HCA on an anonymized basis."
The organization said it expects HCA to issue a compliance report within the next few months, which will be followed by hospital site visits.
"We are engaging in a regular dialogue with HCA regarding compliance matters and will be requesting information from them based upon [what] we have learned thus far," Gibbins Advisors said. "We expect a report on compliance from HCA by the end of April 2020 which will then commence a timetable regarding compliance discussions. Pursuant to the prescribed timetable, we expect to be back in each of the communities again to conduct hospital site visits before the end of June this year."