Asheville's Mission Health, HCA Healthcare finalize $1.5B deal

ASHEVILLE — Tennessee-based hospital giant HCA Healthcare finalized its acquisition of Asheville's Mission Health system on Friday, ending roughly a year of negotiations with a $1.5 billion deal that could have far-reaching impacts on the future of health care in Western North Carolina.

The deal now places Mission's six-hospital system and its nearly 12,000 employees under the umbrella of HCA, a for-profit conglomerate headquartered in Nashville. It marks a significant shift for the formerly not-for-profit Mission, a hospital system that traces its roots to 1885 when the first Mission Hospital was launched to heal the sick in a five-room Asheville home.

"The team at Mission Health has been nationally recognized for providing high-quality patient care, and we’re excited that they’ve joined HCA Healthcare," Sam Hazen, CEO of HCA Healthcare said Friday. "We’re looking forward to investing in Western North Carolina and helping ensure Mission Health’s 133-year tradition of caring for communities throughout the region continues for many years."

In a statement, Mission CEO Dr. Ron Paulus said the hospital is "very pleased" the deal has closed so Mission now can "focus on caring for the people of western North Carolina.

Read more: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2019/02/01/ashevilles-mission-health-hca-healthcare-finalize-1-5-billion-deal/2721743002/