Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health combine, create next-generation academic health system

Today Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health officially combined to create a next-generation academic health system.

A new era of health care was ushered in today as Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health, including Wake Forest School of Medicine, officially joined together as a single enterprise, Atrium Health. Both health systems are renowned for their clinical expertise and the school of medicine is nationally recognized for its medical education programs and research. With the strategic combination now complete, the collective vision to transform medical education, expand patient-centered research and innovation, and define the next generation of clinical excellence becomes a reality.

“With this combination, we are creating the future of medical education,” Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch said. “As the only entity with two exceptional 4-year medical school locations in our region, we will become one of the largest educators of physicians and other medical professionals in the state – immediately educating over 3,500 total students across more than 100 specialized programs each year – while reducing the shortage of doctors in rural and under-served urban communities.”

He also said: “I look forward to watching how our collective efforts will build up our communities, pioneer new trails in medical education and further the care and compassion we can offer our friends and neighbors across the state.”

Read the full announcement posted on the Wake Forest Baptist Health site.