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Over the coming months, leadership from both Wake Forest Baptist and High Point Regional Health will be working together to take the necessary steps toward full integration.


Over the coming months, leadership from both Wake Forest Baptist and High Point Regional Health will be working together to take the necessary steps toward full integration.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. ̶ March 8, 2018 ̶ Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and UNC Health Care, the parent organization of High Point Regional Health, today announced that they have signed a binding agreement that advances the process to transition ownership of High Point Regional from UNC Health Care to Wake Forest Baptist.

Over the coming months, leadership from both Wake Forest Baptist and High Point Regional Health will be working together to take the necessary steps toward full integration which is anticipated early this Fall.

“We are pleased to have completed this agreement and begin integration planning with Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center,” said Ernie Bovio, President & CEO of High Point Regional. “This is an exciting time for our organization, and there is much work ahead as we align and expand our clinical services to bring benefit to patients in the communities we serve.”

With due diligence completed, teams from both Wake Forest Baptist and High Point Regional now begin the complex effort to integrate the multiple systems, processes and work streams of both institutions to ensure a seamless transition of High Point Regional and its affiliates into the Wake Forest Baptist family.

“Together, we have accomplished so much already,” said Julie Ann Freischlag, M.D., CEO, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Dean, Wake Forest School of Medicine. “This next phase brings together our teams to determine mutual areas of strength and opportunity for growth. The energy, collaboration and dedication the teams bring to this very important work are amazing.”

The goal of this process is a seamless transition and the enhanced health of those in the communities served by all partners.

“We believe High Point Regional’s new affiliation with Wake Forest Baptist will serve patients well, and we look forward to collaboration opportunities,” said William Roper, M.D., CEO of UNC Health Care. “We thank the team at High Point for their commitment to serving the region and are confident of their future success.”

Media Contacts

Wake Forest Baptist: Paula Faria, pfaria@wakehealth.edu, 336.716.1279 or Joe McCloskey, jmcclosk@wakehealth.edu, 336.716.1273

High Point Regional Health: Becky Kreitz, becky.kreitz@unchealth.unc.edu, 336.878.6711 or Denise Potter, denise.potter@unchealth.unc.edu, 336.878.6379

UNC Health Care: Phil Bridges, phil.bridges@unchealth.unc.edu, 984.974.1152

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (www.wakehealth.edu) is a nationally prominent academic medical center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Its integrated health care enterprise incorporates hospitals, clinics, physician practices, diagnostic centers and other primary and specialty care facilities that serve the residents of 24 counties in northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia. The Medical Center’s divisions are Wake Forest Baptist Health, a regional clinical network that includes Brenner Children’s Hospital; Wake Forest School of Medicine, a recognized national leader in leading-edge research and experiential medical education; and Wake Forest Innovations, which commercializes the discoveries and research capabilities of the Medical Center and operates Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, an urban district devoted to driving regional economic growth and a vibrant community. Wake Forest Baptist clinical, research and educational programs are consistently rated among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report

About High Point Regional Health

High Point Regional Health, a member of UNC Health Care, is a private, not-for-profit health care organization with more than 2,500 staff. High Point Regional offers 351 private beds for medical and surgical patients serving over 300,000 patients each year. High Point Regional has its foundation in six primary service areas: The Congdon Regional Heart Center, The Hayworth Cancer Center, The Neuroscience Center, The Esther R. Culp Women’s Center, The Emergency Center and The Piedmont Joint Replacement Center. High Point Regional’s mission is to provide exceptional health services to the people of this region. For more information, visit HighPointRegional.com.

About UNC Health Care

UNC Health Care is an integrated health care system comprised of UNC Hospitals and its provider network, UNC Faculty Physicians, UNC Physicians Network, the clinical patient care programs of the UNC School of Medicine and nine other hospitals and hospital systems across the state. Additional hospital entities include UNC Rex Healthcare, Chatham Hospital, Johnston Health, Pardee Hospital, High Point Regional Health, Caldwell Memorial, Nash Health Care, Wayne Memorial, UNC Lenoir Health Care and UNC Rockingham.