My Primary Care Doctor's Office closes...
Photo by Barb Rogers
Black Mountain and Old Fort medical practice closes due to income loss, Helene
October 31, 2025
BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (WLOS) — Hundreds of patients in Black Mountain and Old Fort have to find new physicians after the medical practice, Family Care of Black Mountain/Old Fort, closes, in part, due to Helene.
According to the medical practice's website, it's closing on Oct. 31.
Raleigh Durham Medical Group owns the practice. An individual responding to the group’s main number confirmed “patient volume could not support the practice expenses.”
“I’ve been going there for over 30 years,” said Elizabeth Collins, a patient. “Actually, it was a shock.”
Dr. Drew Schnyder, the primary physician at Family Care, told News 13 the following about the closures both in Black Mountain and Old Fort.
"I feel heartbroken we have to close the practice due to income loss,” said Schnyder. “We've been losing patients since the hurricane. People moved away or transferred. Our patient level was 1,200 a month. After Helene, it dropped to 900. Our management group pulled out. They gave us a 30-day notice.”
Dr. Bill Hathaway, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) CEO, spoke with News 13 about the dynamics of small practices.
“I suspect it’s the case that they were on a critical margin that depended on seeing a certain number of patients per month to see the finances work out. When they had a change in population, the margins weren’t there and tough decisions were made by someone else," Hathaway said. "If you take the exacerbating effect of the challenges on the entire community and put it on a small medical practice that may be struggling because of high overhead and high costs, with a subsequent loss of patients, this doesn’t surprise me at all to see this.”
Across Black Mountain, the community and its people continue to move forward from Helene. Cheryl Hyde, Black Mountain’s Chamber of Commerce Director, said tourists are coming, but there’s still an issue she’s heard from local merchants.
“They aren’t spending as much money as they did,” said Hyde. “But we are happy to see them. And there is strong resolve. All of our shopkeepers are local, all of the people who work in the shops are ----locals and so it does affect the whole economy.”
SOURCE: ABC News/WLOS
Mon, October 27th 2025 at 7:06 PM
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My medical records from Dr. Snyder's office, 2023-2025, only!
I searched all through my files for my photo of Dr. Schnyder, but alas, it's gone (also).
That really is sad, Barb, and unsettling for all of you who were patients. I remember when my pcp left because of West Virginia 's malpractice laws. I hated to lose her! It took me about 10 years to get settled in with a new pcp.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry you're losing this care. What do you do now?
ReplyDeleteHello Barb,
ReplyDeleteThat is sad you and so many other are loosing their medical care, everyone has to go further now?
I hope you do not have to go too far to find a new doctor.
Take care, have a great day!
...Donnie will fix all of this, give him a few years.
ReplyDelete