Heartfelt Investment

Written By: Tom Neal RN, MBA, MHA, CEO/CNO, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital | Issue: August 2024

Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and Eckerd Living Center are ever changing and ever growing, and because of that patients can count on us to be forward-focused innovators. We’re grateful for the investment from the community, our board, local government, partners like the police and fire departments and EMT services, and HCA Healthcare which allow us to keep thriving.

Living proof of this is that HCA Healthcare invested $15 million in us when they acquired Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. This translated to updated imaging technology, Surgical Suite renovations, and more, in addition to significant infrastructure improvements.

The element that allows us to meet our strategic goals and provide superior care across many service lines is our people — our most important resources. I prioritize recruiting and retaining the kindest, most concerned, and engaged providers and staff who all share the same goal — to care for every patient and their loved ones with the utmost sensitivity — from the moment they enter our facility to when they are discharged, whether their stay lasts hours, days, weeks, or months. This investment has earned us some of the highest marks within HCA Healthcare for employee and physician satisfaction.

Investment in training is important and I’m happy to report that this past fall, two graduates of our Highlands-Cashiers Hospital CNA Training Program were accepted to Galen College of Nursing. Our training program allows those who hope to work as CNAs to get trained during a five-week program. We offer attractive incentives to participants, including paid training, a generous sign-on bonus, and the opportunity to start their career with us at Mission. This is transformational for these students, and also allows them to launch their nursing careers.

We are also enthusiastic about our partnership with Southwestern Community College, whose Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program features a clinical rotation at both Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and Eckerd Living Center. Hands-on opportunities like this are invaluable for creating exceptional caregivers.

Additionally, the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation (HCHF) is helping to increase access to primary care for individuals and families on the Plateau by funding a new Community Health Center. It will house a rural teaching program, together with UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC (Mountain Area Health Education Center). A partnership with Blue Ridge Health (BRH) and MAHEC means that we have powerful allies whose priorities focus on making Highlands, Cashiers, and the surrounding communities healthier.
Also important to our success in delivering extraordinary care to our patients is continuously investing in new technology and services, which in turn allows more patients in our community to receive their care close to home. We are proud to hold the number one spot within HCA Healthcare for offering an outstanding Emergency Department experience. We’re also in the Top 10 for both inpatient and outpatient surgery, and there hasn’t been a case here of either of the two most frequently suffered hospital-acquired infections in a decade. In addition, we’re grateful to have earned Primary Stroke Care Accreditation for a second time last year.

Another ingredient in our recipe for success and continued growth is our commitment to community involvement. This takes many forms, from our involvement in Halloween and Christmas events, showing appreciation for veterans in the community, the Crush the Crisis prescription drug takeback event, our popular Teddy bear clinics for kids, and more.

These meaningful, deep investments — in our services, community, and caregivers — have built our success for generations and will continue to, far into the future. We are all deeply grateful for your investment in us.