Atrium Health set to take control of WakeMed, pending Monday vote

WRAL News has learned that Charlotte-based Atrium Health is set to acquire WakeMed, and Wake County commissioners will vote on the measure on Monday.
Posted 5/1/2026, 8:17:00 PM Updated 5/2/2026, 2:29:32 AM

COOLER AIR SETTLES IN. WAKE UP

WITH WRAL'S MORNING NEWS

BEGINNING AT 06:00AM. NOW TO

THE OTHER BIG STORY TONIGHT.

ATRIUM HEALTH PLANS TO TAKE

CONTROL OF WAKE MED. UNC HEALTH

DUKE HEALTH AND WAKE MED

DOMINATE OUR HEALTH CARE IN

THIS AREA RIGHT NOW. BUT THE

PROPOSED DEAL COULD SHAKE UP

THAT BALANCE. BRINGING ATRIUM

HEALTH INTO ONE OF THE STATE'S

MOST COMPETITIVE HEALTH CARE

MARKETS. WR IS BAILEY STAMOS

BREAKS DOWN WHAT'S AT STAKE.

SHE JOINS US LIVE. GRAYLING.

>> WAKE-MED A LOCAL NONPROFIT

SYSTEM WANTS TO PARTNER WITH

ATRIUM HEALTH. A MUCH LARGER

HOSPITAL NETWORK BASED OUT OF

CHARLOTTE. IF THAT DEAL GOES

THROUGH, IT COULD RESHAPE

HEALTH CARE IN WAKE COUNTY.

WE COMMEND HAS BEEN A

CORNERSTONE OF HEALTH CARE IN

WAKE COUNTY FOR DECADES RIGHT

NOW. IT IS THE 13TH, BUSIEST

TRAUMA CENTER IN UNITED STATES.

NOW IT COULD SOON BE CONTROLLED

BY A MUCH LARGER SYSTEM.

WE COUNTY DOCUMENTS SHOW A

PROPOSED DEAL THAT WOULD MAKE

ATRIUM HEALTH, THE CONTROLLING

PARTNER WAKE-MED BRINGING IN

AT LEAST 2 BILLION DOLLARS OVER

THE NEXT 10 YEARS. ATRIUM IS

PART OF ADVOCATE HEALTH, ONE OF

THE LARGEST NONPROFIT HEALTH

SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY. FORMER

WAKE MED CEO RAYMOND CHAMP SAT

DOWN WITH WRAL FOLLOWING THE

ANNOUNCEMENT.

>> MY REACTION WAS VERY

POSITIVE.

THE HOSPITAL HAS A LOT OF

CAPITAL NEEDS. THE NEED IS TO

BE

AND ALL OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS

OR EXPAND THE NOTE.

>> WEAK MEN ALREADY COMPETES

WITH MAJOR SYSTEMS IN THE

TRIANGLE, INCLUDING DUKE, UNC

AND AVANT STATE TREASURER BRAD

BRIAN OR WARNS CONSOLIDATION

COULD REDUCE COMPETITION.

BUT IT'S A BASIC MARKET POWERS

TO PRICES GO UP BETWEEN 6 AND

12%. WHEN MERGERS LIKE THIS ARE

CONSUMMATED CONSUMERS PAY MORE.

HE ALSO SAYS THE DEAL WILL

LIKELY FACE SCRUTINY FROM

REGULATORS, INCLUDING THE

ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.

SUPPLIERS CONSOLIDATING THEIR

MANY FEWER OF THEM ULTIMATELY,

WHAT HAPPENS AS CONSUMERS PAY

MORE PRICES. WE COMMEND LEADERS

SAY THE PARTNERSHIP WOULD

STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEM WHILE

STILL KEEPING KEY PROMISES TO

THE COMMUNITY. UNDER THE

AGREEMENT, THE COUNTY WOULD

ALSO STILL APPOINT THE MAJORITY

OF BOARD MEMBERS KEEPING LOCAL

OVERSIGHT IN PLACE.

>> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS STILL

HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS DEAL.

THEY'RE SET TO DO THAT ON

MONDAY. AND WAKE MED HAS A

PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULED FOR

© WRAL