An Investment in You, Our Community

Issue: Winter - 2023

Tom Neal RN, MBA, MHA

As a hospital and skilled nursing facility, we invest in the many areas that enhance our place as the premier healthcare provider in the region. We can provide the best care for our community when our staff is highly trained and deeply committed to our patients and their families, when our facility is state-of-the-art, and when we’re deeply engaged with our community.

The most important investment we make is in our people. Without caring and dedicated providers and staff, we’re merely a building. We have an incredible culture that has driven our hospital to the top of HCA Healthcare for service and quality, and our skilled nursing facility to a 5-Star status.

Our Nurse Aide Training Program is one way in which we invest in our community. The program allows students to receive paid training to complete their Nurse’s Aide credential or Certified Nursing Assistant. A CNA is a rewarding job and a great first step in the healthcare profession. Mission Health and HCA Healthcare have also made significant investments in local nursing schools to support expansion of their programs, in supporting MAHEC to educate our next generation of doctors, and in HCA Healthcare opening the Galen College of Nursing, WNC’s newest nursing school. Our patients and community will ultimately benefit from these programs for generations to come.

Additional investments include capital improvements. Recent visitors to our campus have likely seen construction teams at work making facility improvements like upgrades to our electrical power system, air handler and boiler replacements, and elevator modernization. New equipment has also been purchased ensuring our community receives care with the most up-to-date medical technology, from 3D mammography, to major surgical suite renovations and updates. These investments allow our providers to care for patients efficiently, safely, and compassionately.

We were also excited to reopen our surgical services in 2022 after being closed for more than 10 years. This was a result of significant human and financial investments and months of planning and assuring our surgery suites were equipped to provide the best care possible and complied with the multitude of regulatory standards. 

New medical equipment was purchased such as anesthesia units, enhanced medication dispensing, and instruments for performing laparoscopic surgery. Our new general surgeon, Dr. Zach Phillips, joined us in September 2022 and is enabling HCH to offer general surgery and colonoscopies. We will also welcome Dr. Mark Moriarty in the near future, who will be providing orthopedic surgery.

I’m happy that we’ve also been able to welcome several accomplished providers to the Plateau, including Physician Assistant Allyson Litchfield, and Dr. Kate Shattenkirk who are providing primary care services in Cashiers, and Dr. Kristy Fincher, primary care physician at Blue Ridge Health Highlands. Access to great primary care providers is one of the most important resources in the healthcare system. 

We are fortunate to be in a position of strength thanks to being part of HCA Healthcare and Mission Health, and look toward a bright future, thanks to your support.