Atrium/WakeMed Merger
✓ Update — May 5, 2026
Commissioners voted to pause the deal for 90 days. SEANC members spoke up — and it made a difference. But the merger is still on the table. The 90-day window is your opportunity to make sure commissioners hear from you before they vote again.
The WakeMed–Atrium Merger Is Paused. Now We Keep the Pressure On.
Commissioners delayed their vote after a wave of public opposition — including from SEANC. The deal isn't dead. Use the next 90 days to make your voice heard.
Atrium Health — part of a $32 billion hospital network stretching from Georgia to Wisconsin — wants to absorb WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Wake County's only independent hospital system. When SEANC and state employees pushed back, commissioners agreed to pause and collect public input before acting. That input period is now open, and your voice matters.
Hospital consolidation has a documented track record: less competition means higher prices. Those higher prices flow directly into the State Health Plan — and from there, into your out-of-pocket costs. This is not a Wake County problem. It is a statewide problem that touches every state employee and retiree.
Why this fight isn't over
- The 90-day pause is not a rejection. Commissioners can still approve this deal — and WakeMed's board has already voted unanimously in favor of it.
- The State Health Plan covers 748,000 NC state employees, retirees, and their families. When hospitals gain pricing power, the plan pays more — and so do you.
- We have seen this before. After Novant acquired New Hanover Regional Medical Center, quality of care slumped and prices rose. After HCA purchased Mission Health in Asheville, nurses went on strike and no lasting improvements were found.
- State Treasurer Brad Briner, the State Auditor, and the Attorney General are all engaged — but they need public pressure to act. Lawmakers are also working on legislation that would give the state more power to block deals like this one.
"There is a simple business principle that when suppliers consolidate and competition is reduced, it is the consumers who suffer. If history is any guide, this merger will not benefit the public."
— NC State Treasurer Brad Briner
SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins sent a formal letter to the Wake County Board of Commissioners calling for a no vote and public listening sessions. Commissioners heard us. Now we need to make sure they continue to hear from state employees throughout this 90-day review.
📄 Read SEANC's Letter to the CommissionersMake it easy
Use This Message
Copy the text below and paste it into the commissioner's contact form. Feel free to personalize it with your own words.
Sample message — copy and paste
As a North Carolina state employee and SEANC member, I want to thank the Wake County Board of Commissioners for pausing the vote on the proposed WakeMed–Atrium combination and committing to a public input period. That decision was the right one, and I urge you to use these 90 days to fully examine the consequences of this deal before acting.
Hospital consolidation consistently results in higher prices for patients and insurance plans — and the evidence from North Carolina's own recent history bears this out. After Novant acquired New Hanover Regional Medical Center, quality of care declined and prices rose. After HCA purchased Mission Health in Asheville, nurses went on strike and no lasting improvements were found. I do not want to see the same outcome in Wake County.
The State Health Plan covers 748,000 NC state employees, retirees, and their families. When WakeMed loses its independence, every health plan negotiating in this market — including the State Health Plan — loses leverage. Those costs will be borne by state employees and taxpayers across all 100 counties.
Please use this review period to hold real public listening sessions, seek independent analysis of the cost impact, and seriously consider voting no when this deal comes back before the Board.
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