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By Kelsey Coffey, WRAL reporter
Community members offered their thoughts on Monday about the planned merger between WakeMed and Atrium Health at a town hall
The town hall began around 6 p.m. at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Raleigh on Darby Street
Atrium Health plans to merge with WakeMed in a new deal that could bring at least $2 billion in investment to Wake County
WakeMed has said that Atrium’s financial backing will help them serve a growing population, but opponents say the plan could lead to higher costs and lower quality of care
The deal, which would require approval from the Wake County Board of Commissioners, has drawn considerable scrutiny and criticism from state officials since it was announced in May. Commissioners delayed an initial vote on the plan
If commissioners ultimately agree to the merger, state or federal regulators could attempt to block it. However, the bar for doing that is high and comes with legal roadblocks
Earlier this month, several community groups spoke out in Raleigh on Monday against the proposed merger between WakeMed and Charlotte-based Atrium Health.
“We need guarantees that services will not be cut, guarantees that charity care will not be weakened, guarantees that staffing will not be reduced,” Wayne Wilhelm with the NC Poor People’s Campaign said. “This deal does not give patients the guarantees we need.”
