RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — After a nearly daylong session, more than two hours of public comments and another two hours of deliberation, and after years of discussion, the Wake County Board of Commission has approved. the strategic combination of WakeMed and Charlotte Atrium Health. The final vote was 5-2, with commissioner members Vicki Adamson and Tara Waters voting no.
The vote was delayed as protestors who had spoken earlier in the day stayed and stood up to disrupt the final vote.
WakeMed and Atrium issued a joint statement shortly after the vote:
“Over the past several months, Wake County has engaged in critical conversations about the future of healthcare in this region — with strong opinions, tough questions and differing perspectives. Through it all, one thing was clear: people care deeply about WakeMed, its caregivers, its patients and the future of this community. We greatly appreciate everyone who took part in that conversation and helped make it stronger.
We spent countless hours listening to county leaders, community organizations, faith leaders, employees, care providers and residents who wanted to understand what this combination would mean for Wake County. That’s a fair question, and we believe the additional commitments included in the final agreement are a meaningful answer.
The $150 million Wake County Whole Health Program is a significant long-term investment in the health and vitality of Wake County, building on our track record of investing in community well-being and addressing needs that extend beyond the walls of hospitals and physician practices. The amended Transfer Agreement includes a strengthened charity care commitment establishing a higher minimum threshold for caring for patients in need, providing additional assurance around a level of support that already exceeds that threshold today and helping ensure access to care regardless of a person’s ability to pay.
These enhancements build on Atrium Health’s commitment to invest $2 billion in WakeMed, supporting continued investment in people, facilities, technology and services needed to meet the needs of one of the fastest-growing communities in the country. This combination will expand access to affordable, nationally leading care, strengthen mental health and other critical services, grow local jobs, increase investment in nonprofit and community-based organizations, address social drivers of health, catalyze innovation and improve the health and well-being of Wake County for generations to come.
This vote brings us to the next chapter of the process, and important work remains ahead. As the proposed combination now moves to the regulatory review process, we look forward to fulfilling our commitments. We recognize that trust is earned, and our focus now is to follow through on what we’ve outlined, continuing to listen to the community and demonstrating, through our actions, the value this combination will create for the people of Wake County and beyond.”
Governor Josh Stein, who got involved in last minute talks on the deal, issued his own statement:
“The commission voted to approve the Atrium-WakeMed merger. I thank the commissioners for their work on patients’ behalf, and I am pleased that Atrium and WakeMed agreed to my request to protect families by capping price increases at WakeMed for the next five years. Now that the commission has voted, I welcome the Attorney General’s review of the proposed transaction and his office’s independent assessment of it. “
“Since my time as Attorney General, I have been urging the General Assembly to give the Attorney General’s Office more authority to review hospital transactions and protect North Carolinians from the increased prices and decreased quality they often bring. Health care costs are too high, and additional oversight and authority would better protect patients.”
In 2023, Governor Stein helped draft bipartisan legislation proposed by Senators Jim Burgin and Julie Mayfield to give the Attorney General authority to review hospital transactions and block mergers or sales that increase costs, diminish quality of care, or harm the local community. The legislation would also increase public reporting requirements for proposed hospital transactions. Governor Stein continues to call on the General Assembly to act on that legislation.