Atrium Health, Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University announced Wednesday that they plan to join in a deal that will bring a four-year medical school to Charlotte — a major announcement for a city that lacks a four-year medical campus.
The deal also means that the three groups will combine in a yet-to-be-determined way as a new health care system. The impact of that big change for patients was not immediately known.
Charlotte-based Atrium, the metro area’s dominant hospital system, Wake Forest Baptist and the university signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday. Entering the agreement allows all three group to start negotiations, with the goal of entering into a final agreement about the new health care system this year, according to a news release.