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What’s next for the Atrium-WakeMed deal?
By Anne Blythe and Michelle Crouch Key Takeaways: The proposed combination of Atrium Health and WakeMed Health & Hospitals cleared a major hurdle Monday when Wake County commissioners gave it the go-ahead, but it’s not yet a done deal. The partnership still faces review by federal regulators and the state attorney general’s office. In addition,…
Wake commissioners clear the way for Atrium-WakeMed combo at contentious meeting
By Anne Blythe, Michelle Crouch and Rose Hoban Key Takeaways: With key legal details of a “strategic combination” between WakeMed Health & Hospitals and Atrium Health yet to be finalized, the Wake County Board of Commissioners on Monday voted to move forward with one of the biggest and most contentious health care changes the county…
After months of contention and behind-the-scenes lobbying, new Atrium-WakeMed deal has more benefits for Wake County
By Michelle Crouch and Anne Blythe Key Takeaways: The first weekend in May, just before Wake County commissioners were initially planning to vote on a proposed combination of Atrium Health and WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Wake County Commissioner Vickie Adamson was worried. “This feels way too rushed to me,” she wrote in a May 2…
Needed hospital beds across NC delayed by industry appeals
By Lucas Thomae Carolina Public Press In 2022, North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services approved new hospital beds to be built in Western North Carolina for the first time in more than a decade. According to the formula the state uses annually to determine which areas require expanded medical services, Buncombe and its…
Atrium Health boosted executive compensation by 21 percent in 2025
By Michelle Crouch Co-published with The Charlotte Ledger Key Takeaways: The compensation of Charlotte-based Atrium Health’s top executives rose by an average of 21 percent in 2025, according to newly released records, as the hospital giant seeks to combine with Raleigh-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals. The executive compensation report from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, which…
$50B Rural Health Transformation Program needs more transparency, groups say
By Arielle Zionts KFF Health News One year into its creation, a $50 billion federal program aimed at improving rural health care lacks transparency, which could make it difficult to protect against fraud, identify successful projects, and ensure the program delivers on its promise to transform the system. Transparency “is really important to help protect…
