Western Carolina Medical Society’s Project Access and Mission Health Partner for Banner Year
Asheville, NC – Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation’s (WCMS) Project Access program announces that 2025 was a record year for care donated through the initiative. Project Access coordinates specialty, donated care for neighbors in Buncombe and Madison Counties who do not have health insurance and are ineligible for Medicaid. In 2025, $9 million in care was donated, with $8.6 million of that figure donated by Mission Health.
Project Access is celebrating thirty years of service to the community in 2026. The brainchild of Dr. Suzanne Landis, the program was the first of its kind in the country and has been replicated more than two hundred times nationwide.
“This past year, 2025, was a year of particular need for our community,” acknowledges Western Carolina Medical Society Executive Director Karen Wallace-Meigs. She continues: “As we worked through the initial recovery phases post-Helene, many neighbors needed specialty care they could not afford, despite Medicaid Expansion in the state. Our Project Access team at Western Carolina Medical Society tirelessly signed up moms and dads, children and grandparents, for Project Access and transportation to medical appointments. None of what we do happens without partners such as Mission Health and the private practices who support our work. Our board of directors and staff are especially grateful that area care providers step up year after year to support those who would otherwise suffer needlessly. Lack of healthcare access harms individual lives and families, hurting the community as a whole. Donated care is a gift of life.”
Of Mission Health’s contribution, CEO Greg Lowe says, “At Mission Health, we are proud to partner with the Western Carolina Medical Society to ensure that our most vulnerable neighbors receive the care they need, regardless of their ability to pay. Our support of Project Access is part of the overall financial assistance we provide to patients, reaching $288 million in 2024. Supporting the health and well-being of our community is at the heart of our mission, and we remain dedicated to expanding access to high-quality care for all.”
ABOUT MISSION HEALTH
Mission Health, based in Asheville, North Carolina, serves as the leading healthcare system for Western North Carolina and the adjoining region. Operating 1,219 licensed beds across six acute care hospitals and one inpatient rehabilitation hospital, Mission Health offers numerous satellite practices, post-acute care provider CarePartners and the region’s only ACS-verified level I trauma center. As the largest employer in the region, Mission Health is committed to improving the health and wellness of the people of Western North Carolina. For more information, please visit MissionHealth.org or @MissionHealthNC.
ABOUT THE WESTERN CAROLINA MEDICAL SOCIETY FOUNDATION
The Western Carolina Medical Society’s mission is to advocate for healthy communities, increase access to affordable healthcare, and promote wellness in WNC. Founded in 1885, WCMS is one of Western North Carolina’s oldest nonprofits. WCMS is respected for its leadership and innovation in addressing issues of access to affordable health care and wellness promotion. Throughout its history, WCMS has been at the forefront of working collaboratively with area organizations to address health challenges facing our community’s residents. In 2026, WCMS will celebrate 30 years of Project Access, which provides free specialty care to uninsured individuals.
For more information about the Western Carolina Medical Society Foundation, contact Niki Duff, Director of Development & Communications, at niki@mywcms.org.
