What the WakeMed Merger Means for Patients

The potential WakeMed-Atrium merger is on hold—but the questions and concerns it raises aren’t.

By Emily O’Brien + Heidi Reid

Raleigh’s largest nonprofit healthcare system may be entering a new chapter. In early May, WakeMed announced a move to merge with the state’s largest healthcare system, Atrium Health. If approved, the proposed partnership will reshape local healthcare in Wake County—but whether patients ultimately benefit remains a matter of debate. 

For many Raleighites, WakeMed is a lifeline. It’s where emergencies land and specialists are tapped for diagnoses and lifesaving care. And as the county’s only Level I Trauma Center, it’s long been a medical mainstay. 

But as details of the proposal emerge, those who rely on the institution—and those employed by it—are trying to parse what it could actually mean for their well-being. 

WakeMed says the merger would expand specialty care, behavioral health services and enhanced treatment options, while also establishing the state’s largest virtual care network. Unanimously approved by WakeMed’s board after a three-year evaluation, the merger was expected to be approved by Wake County Commissioners just three days (and less than 10 business hours) after the initial announcement. 

But county commissioners weren’t convinced, delaying a vote for 90 days—until at least August—to allow for additional review and community input before moving forward.

NC Treasurer Brad Briner argued the proposal would drive up already-high healthcare costs and offer little return for Wake County, while State Auditor Dave Boliek raised concerns about the deal’s transparency and pace. 

“The people of Wake County and stakeholders who are affected by this move deserve to have more than a weekend to voice their opinions on a hospital takeover of this scale,” Boliek said in his call to delay the vote. 

State health execs note Atrium is currently charging 15% to 40% more than WakeMed for the same services. If WakeMed opts to raise its rates to similar levels post-merger, every NCer on the State Health Plan would see an increased cost of yearly premiums—up to $132 more. 

While both WakeMed and Atrium Health maintain no immediate changes are planned for insurance acceptance and in-network status, care or coverage, patients are still raising red flags: Will insurance still be accepted? Will appointments become harder to get? Will costs actually rise?

A long-time WakeMed patient told RM she learned of the proposal through news reports. “I’m concerned about whether or not they’ll still take my insurance, and how much I’ll have to pay per visit going forward,” she stresses.

Meanwhile, WakeMed President and CEO Donald Gintzig dismissed concerns about rising costs and maintained the merger would lead to better quality care. “This is not about getting bigger for bigger’s sake,” he tells RM. The comments echoed broader messaging at several public forums held in late May to address concerns and increase transparency. 

The merger reflects a growing reality for WakeMed. In one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, expanding services may be necessary to keep up with demand. 

To WakeMed, the partnership is less a business transaction and more a strategy for keeping up with that explosive growth. “Do I think WakeMed will survive in the future [without this merger]? Yes,” admits Gintzig. “But I can see a world where it doesn’t thrive—and that’s really what this is about.” 

Though Gintzig said the org is fiscally sound, the healthcare landscape has changed over WakeMed’s 65 years. “Without combining resources with a like-minded organization, WakeMed will face greater challenges alongside a significantly extended timeline for growth and expansion, making independence unsustainable,” he maintains.

The proposed partnership includes a reported $2 billion investment in Wake County and increased charity-care eligibility from 300% to 400% of the federal poverty level. Read: Families of four earning less than $100K annually could qualify for free care.

Additionally, the merger will maintain WakeMed’s influence amid Medicaid cuts and local competition, Gintzig adds. And in more immediate concerns, the hospital’s main campus on New Bern Avenue needs at least $1B in redevelopment. 

Thanks to the promised perks, some staff members back the partnership. WakeMed ENT physician and director of head and neck surgery Dr. Michael Ferguson says he wouldn’t work for an institution that wouldn’t allow him to care for his patients in a way he sees fit. “I have confidence Atrium will allow all WakeMed physicians to continue to thrive just as we have for the past 65 years,” he stresses.

Independent research of similar mergers yields mixed reviews: Some markets saw expanded services, but others experienced increased pricing as competition narrowed —with no change or decrease in care quality. Similarly, contention took over Wilmington in 2021 as commissioners approved the sale of the county hospital to Novant Health. 

Years later, locals still note a decrease in care quality—and blame the deal. “Did they do a  case study of Wilmington and Novant?”one NCer commented on a WakeMed merger post. “Spoiler alert. It’s not going well here.” 

Amid the controversy, the changes patients have been asking for are still not definitive—the possibility of easier specialist access, decreased wait times or lower costs remains uncertain. 

For now, the answers many patients want most—whether care will become more accessible, more affordable or simply remain the same—are still unclear.

If county commissioners decline to approve, Gintzig says, WakeMed would abide by their decision, but the impact would eventually be felt. “It’ll be alright,” he says. “It just won’t thrive as much. And that’s a shame.” For now, the merger remains on hold—and so do many of the answers Wake County patients are waiting for.