In recent interviews, officials at WakeMed have spread inaccurate information about new heart health services that will soon be available at Rex Healthcare’s main campus.
The Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, which won approval from state regulators in late September, will consolidate and streamline services that Rex has offered its patients for years. It is necessary to help Rex meet the growing demand for these services. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in North Carolina, and Wake County’s population is aging and growing. North Carolina’s state regulators, and Rex Healthcare, have determined that more services should be available in Wake County to meet this growing patient need.
What’s more, these WakeMed officials continue to misrepresent the facts surrounding UNC Health Care System’s relationships with physicians. To be clear, Rex Healthcare has never received any taxpayer funds. UNC Health Care and Rex Healthcare have successfully affiliated with many of the top physician practice groups in the Triangle – a success we believe is a direct result of the way we work with doctors and a shared vision for the future of patient care in Wake County.
Additionally, despite their charges to the contrary, it is important to remember that WakeMed is not a private hospital in the traditional sense. WakeMed was founded as a county hospital and owned by Wake County. It was transferred from Wake County, at no cost, to a non-profit corporation and assumed an obligation to provide charity care for Wake County citizens. When this transaction was made, Wake County retained the right to appoint the majority (8-14) of the WakeMed Board of Directors. WakeMed is still under government oversight.