On Thursday, June 19, 2025, Mitchell County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution asking the NC Legislature to consider the impact of budget cuts to our regional hospital. Below is a copy of the letter sent to the General Assembly and the resolution.

Dear Members of the North Carolina General Assembly,

We are writing on behalf of Mitchell County in response to a recent public statement from Governor Josh Stein regarding the potential closure of five rural hospitals in North Carolina under a proposed congressional budget. One of those facilities—Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine—serves as the primary healthcare provider for residents across Mitchell and surrounding counties. The prospect of its closure is deeply alarming to our community.

Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is not just a medical facility; it is a vital lifeline for thousands of residents in our rural mountain region. Its loss would create critical delays in emergency response, severely limit access to routine and preventive care, and place additional strain on already overburdened systems in nearby counties.

Attached in this email is a formal resolution adopted by the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners, reaffirming our commitment to keeping Blue Ridge Regional Hospital operational and accessible for our citizens.

We respectfully request your partnership and leadership in defending rural healthcare access in this time of urgent need. Please feel free to reach out should you need further information or wish to discuss the resolution in greater detail.

Thank you for your service to our state and your attention to this critical matter.

Deidre McKinney

Clerk to the Board

To read the resolution as a PDF, click on the image below: