UNC Health Care Board Considers WakeMed Offer

UNC Health Care board members say they're not interested in selling Rex Hospital to WakeMed.

Last week, officials at WakeMed sent a letter to U-N-C President Tom Ross offering to buy Rex Hospital for 750 million dollars. That's about three times what UNC paid to buy Rex 11 years ago. Yesterday afternoon, board members for UNC Health Care sent Ross a resolution saying a committee will study the financial implications of selling the Raleigh hospital. But the resolution says Rex is an integral part of UNC's teaching and business infrastructure. 

After the meeting, UNC Health Care head Bill Roper was unequivocal in his statements. In response to a reporter's question about whether he could see any positive benefit to selling Rex, Roper gave a clear, one word answer. No.  In a written statement released after the UNC meeting, WakeMed head Bill Atkinson reiterated his position that sale of Rex could help the state's bottom line. And Atkinson said he hopes the UNC study committee will not become a delaying tactic.