RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – There’s more pushback now to the proposed “combination” of WakeMed with Charlotte-based Atrium Health.
This time it’s coming from the State Auditor Dave Boliek.
In a statement released Sunday afternoon (May 3), Boliek said the Wake County Commissioners should delay a scheduled vote Monday night on what some are calling a merger but he, and others, are calling a takeover.
WPTF News first reported Friday that the commissioners were planning a vote on Monday, May 4 which would be a key step toward the deal, and that Atrium was planning a major infusion of investment and jobs. The move is also seen by some as a way for WakeMed to stay competitive with the other major health care players in the Triangle, Duke and UNC. The item is currently listed on a “concent agenda,” which does not require discussion, but any member of council can ask for the item to be removed.
Boliek is joining others who say the arrangement needs more study.
In a letter to the Wake Commissioners shared to reporters, Boliek is calling on the Wake County Board of Commissioners to postpone a vote. The vote coming less than three days after the deal was first made public.
The announcement of the transaction was made public on Friday afternoon. A vote by the Wake County Board of Commissioners to approve WakeMed’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation is scheduled for Monday. In a letter sent to the County Commissioners on Sunday, Boliek wrote:
“I am committed to promoting accountability and trust in all levels of North Carolina government. Our office seeks to make North Carolina a model for effective, efficient, and transparent governance. The rollout of the proposed hospital takeover raises questions. The lack of transparency does not instill confidence, in fact, it calls for greater scrutiny and explanation. In the interest of the people of Wake County and all of the citizens in North Carolina, the vote to approve WakeMed’s amended articles of incorporation, currently scheduled for May 4, 2026, should be delayed, and I applaud any decision to delay this vote.”
As of Friday afternoon, the vote was scheduled Monday with a press conference tentatively scheduled for Tuesday.
Boliek is not the first member of the Council of State to throw cold water on the deal.
The day it was announced, State Treasurer Brad Briner, who oversees the State Health Plan used by thousands of state employees, teachers and state retirees, stated reservations about the plan.
In a press release Friday, 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.”
A spokesman for State Attorney General Jeff Jackson said he is also watching the situation closely.
The group representing state workers has gone further, saying the commission should vote no on the deal, or delay the vote at the very least.
In a letter to Wake County Commissioners, State Employees Association of North Carolina Executive Director Ardis Watkins stated: “SEANC has long opposed the trend of hospital consolidation in North Carolina, and for good reason: the evidence is clear that when large health systems absorb independent or community hospitals, prices rise and competition disappears. As State Treasurer Brad Briner stated publicly this week, this level of consolidation is damaging to all healthcare plans — and the State Health
Plan, which covers state employees and retirees across all 100 counties, will be among those harmed most directly if this transaction is approved.”
Watkins’ letter went on to document another example where a health care merger harmed patients. SEANC participated in the public listening sessions held by New Hanover County before the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health. Those sessions gave citizens and stakeholders an opportunity to be heard, but they note the sale went through and Novant raised prices shortly after acquisition. “The pattern is predictable and well-documented,” wrote Watkins.
Watkins wrote: “A transaction that weakens the State Health Plan’s negotiating position with a dominant regional provider will not affect only Wake County residents — it will ripple across the entire state plan, raising costs for the hundreds of thousands of state employees and retirees who rely on it. This is a statewide issue that deserves statewide scrutiny.”
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.
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.
Stay with WPTF for the latest on this developing story.