Becker's Hospital Review

8 CFO / FINANCE Atrium Health, WakeMed plan merger and $2B investment: 6 things to know By Madeline Scheetz C harlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health and Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed Health & Hospitals plan to combine into a single health system, supported by a $2 billion investment in Wake County (N.C.) to expand facilities, grow the workforce and broaden care access across North Carolina. e proposed deal would bring WakeMed, a nonprofit health system, under Atrium Health, a member of Charlotte-based Advocate Health. e Wake County Board of Commissioners will vote May 4 on an amendment to WakeMed's Transfer Agreement, which will mark a key step toward finalizing the combination, according to a May 1 news release shared with Becker's. Here are six things to know: 1. e $2 billion to grow WakeMed's footprint would include the redevelopment and expansion of its Raleigh Campus; the expansion of Cary (N.C.) Hospital and North Hospital in Raleigh; added development of inpatient and outpatient services at the WakeMed Garner (N.C.) Whole Health Campus; construction of two new Healthplex locations to offer standalone emergency departments and outpatient services. 2. e combination would add more than 3,300 healthcare jobs over five years and expand services to 1 million people statewide. It would also establish North Carolina's largest nonprofit behavioral health network, with more than 360 inpatient mental health beds, and a statewide virtual care network that would add at least 100,000 virtual visits annually, according to the release. 3. e deal is subject to regulatory review, which is expected to take several months, followed by a structured integration process to bring the two parties closer together. Initial investments include mental health infrastructure, virtual care network development, facility expansion and workforce expansion. 4. "WakeMed and Atrium Health are united in a shared commitment to serving our communities, and by building upon our complementary strengths, we can have an even greater impact on the health and well- being of Wake County and the entire state," Donald Gintzig, president and CEO of WakeMed, said in the release. 5. Atrium Health comprises Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center — an academic medical center in Charlotte that includes Levine Children's Hospital, Levine Cancer Institute, and Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute — along with 11 hospitals, more than 900 care locations and more than 1,400 physicians across the greater Charlotte region. 6. WakeMed Health & Hospitals comprises a 973-bed network of facilities, including three full-service hospitals, a mental health and well-being hospital, eight emergency departments, a dedicated Children's Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital, two trauma centers, and more than 175 physician and physical therapy practice offices. e nonprofit system's team includes more than 12,800 employees, 1,300 volunteers and 1,300 affiliated physicians, along with a network of more than 900 primary care and specialty providers through WakeMed Physician Practices. n The 'grow your own' mentality at LMH Health By Madeline Scheetz L awrence, Kan.-based LMH Health is developing a local talent pipeline, which has become one of the system's highest priorities in 2026. "We're seeing more demand on everything," LMH Health CFO Rob Chestnut said during a Becker's "CFO + Revenue Cycle Podcast" episode. "All across the board, as far as labor is concerned, nursing, radiation technologists, medical assistants, phlebotomists, you name it, we're really focusing a lot on how we can get out in front of this." Mr. Chestnut has been CFO of LMH Health for nearly two years, and was born in the system's 174-bed hospital – taking the 'grow your own' workforce mentality to the next level. "It's grow your own, and also recognizing the fact that it's not always about money," he said. "It can be, what's the culture that you're creating in your organization? What kind of recognition are you providing people?" Between a shrinking workforce to inflationary and economic pressures on wages, LMH Health has found solutions to tackle this issue. The system has partnered with local vocational-technical schools and is building apprenticeship programs designed to grow talent within the community. Mr. Chestnut also pointed to AI as a tool for easing the burden on an already stretched workforce, which has helped the system's revenue cycle and clinical workforce streamline daily tasks. "We've got to create a platform where we can standardize what we're doing and apply technology across it," he said. "It's not just using the technology tools, it's developing the workflows to make sure that you can use that technology, because if you're doing things so inconsistently across all your clinics, technology is not going to solve that problem." n

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