RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – A major development in health care services in the Triangle.
WakeMed is considering an offer to merge with Charlotte based Atrium Health.
A key first step takes place on Monday (May 4) as the Wake County Commission will consider an agreement change which will go a long way toward the combination.
It appears most of the changes will come in the Triangle with a $2 billion investment to expand WakeMed locations in Raleigh and Cary. It would also create more than 3,300 jobs and expand services for 1 million people across the state, officials said.
“For more than 65 years, WakeMed has been a beacon of hope and healing for the Wake County area and beyond. This combination represents a significant next step in building upon this legacy, expanding our impact and ensuring a thriving nonprofit health care future for all we serve,” said Donald Gintzig, president and CEO of WakeMed, in a release. “WakeMed and Atrium Health are united in a shared commitment to serving our communities, and by building upon our complementary strengths, we can have an even greater impact on the health and well-being of Wake County and the entire state.”
Atrium is part of Charlotte-based Advocate Health, the nation’s third-largest not-for-profit hospital system. It reported a $4.6 billion profit in 2025. Atrium was developed out of what was originally hospital Charlotte Memorial Hospital but became a non-profit under the Atrium name in 2018. Before that, it was known as Carolinas HealthCare System.
Atrium has been on a growth trajectory for several years including joining with Wake Forest Baptist in 2020. The move with WakeMed would mean Atrium would have a major footprint in the state’s three largest metro areas.
In 2022, it combined with Advocate Aurora.
The review will include a number of steps, including an analysis by State Attorney General Jeff Jackson. Worries have already been raised that consolidation could lead to higher costs or fewer services.
In a press release, State Treasurer Brad Briner said: “There is a simple business principle that when suppliers consolidate and competition is reduced it is the consumers who suffer. This has been proven to be true time and again in the health care landscape, where prices continue to rise and patients are left with mounting medical debt. I look forward to the Attorney General and FTC carefully scrutinizing this proposal and what it could mean for the people across our state. If history is any guide, this merger will not benefit the public.”
Briner’s office oversees the State Health Plan, which covers thousands of state employees, teachers and retirees.
This isn’t the first time that Atrium has tried to combine with a Triangle-centric health care system. In 2018, Atrium and UNC Health Care announced plans to merge. That merger failed amid obstacles, including disagreements over leadership and organizational issues.
WakeMed was created in 1961 as Memorial Hospital of Wake County and has expanded to include a number of facilities throughout Wake County.