Atrium Health, WakeMed propose $2 billion merger

The Wake County Board of Commissioners will vote Monday on a merger between Atrium Health and WakeMed.

Pending approval, it will combine WakeMed, the Triangle’s leading health system, with Atrium Health, North Carolina’s largest health provider.

The merger includes a $2 billion investment in Wake County that will add new hospitals and facilities, create 3,300 new health care jobs, and expand services for one million North Carolinians.

β€œThis combination is about meeting people where they are β€” with care that fits their lives and stays rooted in the community,” said Eugene A. Woods, chief executive officer of Advocate Health. β€œWe’re honored to welcome WakeMed into the Atrium Health family, and we’re excited about what we’ll build together β€” for our neighbors, our patients, and our teammates β€” for many generations to come.”

The move will also create the state’s largest non-profit mental health care network with plans to expand access for both inpatient and outpatient treatment.

If approved, regulatory review will take place over the coming months along with a structured integration process to merge the two organizations.