Sue Fischer is a longtime HCA employee who’s concerned about patient care in her facility. A 17-year registered nurse in a cardiology unit at the hospital that treated Jaquins’ partner, Fischer has worked at Mission both before and after the HCA buyout. Still, 11 current and six former HCA employees in five states told NBC News they believe the company understaffs its hospitals as a practice, helping to keep earnings high but increasing the risks of adverse patient outcomes.īuttressing this view is a new study of HCA’s staffing by a union representing some of its employees. It found the company’s overall staffing levels recently were below the average for other hospitals in 19 of the 20 states where it provided care. Investors are pleased with this performance - HCA’s shares were down only 6.6% in 2022 versus the 19.4% decline of the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index.īut some HCA workers are concerned the company’s profit focus is imperiling patient safety and care. Health care providers throughout the U.S. In the first nine months of last year, it earned $4.2 billion. HCA is a health care juggernaut, employing 284,000 people in 182 hospitals and 125 surgery centers across the country and in the U.K. Operating in 20 U.S. states, HCA generated almost $7 billion in earnings in 2021, double that of the prior year, securities filings show. For example, she added, “receiving 5 units would be exceptionally unusual” in such a case. She noted, however, that “there are several reasons which lead us to believe that this particular story does not portray an accurate picture,” she said. NBC Newsīecause Jaquins’ partner did not want to identify himself, a Mission spokeswoman said in an email that she could not check the specifics of the patient’s experience. But that dynamic changed in 2019, she added, when HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain, bought Mission Health System’s six hospitals in western North Carolina. “Mission Hospital used to be where everyone would go if they wanted good care,” Jaquins said, reflecting on her previous experiences with the health care system. Once there, he received five units of blood, she added, staying in the hospital for four days.Īlthough her partner ended up OK, the long delay in treatment was “abhorrent and unconscionable,” Jaquins said. The couple was told to “take a seat,” she said.įourteen hours later her partner finally got a bed, Jaquins said another five hours went by before the hospital found him a room. So glad I am almost recovered now but I am honestly going to miss seeing my friends at Compass.Once inside the Mission emergency department, however, they found it crowded and understaffed, with people sleeping or sitting on the floor, said Jaquins, a former psychiatric and cardiac nurse. I realized I have a choice of where I receive my P.T. assistant on every visit, with no one to answer your questions. practice where you are rushed through a conveyor belt of treatments or handed off to a P. Without Mark's understanding, humor and compassion, I might have gotten quite discouraged along the way.ĭon't settle for a P. Mark has always taken the time to answer my questions and guided me on what types of activities I could safely do at each stage of recovery. Exercises on their in house equipment, dry needling, deep tissue work, taping, and a home exercise program has made all the difference. I greatly appreciate Mark's professionalism, knowledge, encouragement and the wide variety of treatments to speed along recovery of my achilles tendonitis. The atmosphere of the office is relaxing, caring and a joy to visit. The business manager, Elisabeth is friendly, helpful and a pleasure to work with in regards to billing, appointments, and answering questions. After a couple sessions at two other physical therapy practices in Asheville, I feel so fortunate to have found Compass Physical Therapy, a practice locally owned by husband and wife Dr.
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