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Shuler visits Harris Regional
U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, right, visited Harris Regional Hospital on Monday to read a statement he submitted to the Congressional Record regarding WestCare Health System’s response to recent events at Haywood Regional Medical Center. Congressman Shuler addressed employees in the HRH courtyard, noting the readiness of staff to respond to the health care needs of the region. He compared employees’ willingness to help out to the neighborly spirit characteristic of Western North Carolina. WestCare CEO Mark Leonard, left, and Board Chairman Jerry McKinney, center, thanked employees for their extra effort in caring for the hospital’s increased patient load after Haywood lost Medicare and Medicaid funding and numerous insurance companies no longer covered patients there. From Feb. 24 to May 24, the HRH inpatient census increased 15 percent, cat scan imaging studies increased 11 percent and outpatient surgeries went up 48 percent. In addition, 19 Haywood County physicians applied for staff privileges. Shuler’s Congressional Record statement will be posted in the hospital lobby. – Herald photo by Nick Breedlove |
