Hubbs said no affiliations are on the table right now, but nothing is off the table either. Angel was selected as a base for the medic helicopter largely for its strategic geographic location as a jumping off point for Mission to serve trauma patients in the far west. While Angel has an agreement with Mission Hospital in Asheville to house a medic helicopter at the hospital, there is no official partnership with Mission, Hubbs said. “We would like it to be in our best interest and not in the best interest of someone somewhere else.” “We were afraid the focus would be in Jackson County,” Hubbs said. Angel’s board of directors hesitated for fear of seeing some of their local medical services absorbed by Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. The venture also calls for partnering with Carolinas HealthCare System, a conglomerate based in Charlotte with a network of 23 hospitals.Īngel was engaged in preliminary discussions of a merger with WestCare a few years ago, but it failed to materialize. The two entities will manage daily operations jointly, yet keep their assets and long-term balance sheets separate. Haywood Regional Medical Center and WestCare, which serves Jackson and Swain counties, anticipate launching a new joint venture in January. The Cherokee Tribal Council approved more than $110 million for new health facilities on…