Wayne Memorial Hospital’s Board of Directors voted Dec. 15, 2015, to authorize its executive committee to sign a Management Services Agreement with UNC Health Care. Although no formal agreement has been signed, both parties expect to have a formalized plan in place in the near future.
“Our decision today signifies Wayne Memorial Hospital’s commitment to provide the best health care possible for all of our patients,” said Jim Parker, Chairman of the Wayne Memorial Hospital Board. “An affiliation with UNC Health Care will allow us to be better prepared to meet the challenges of the future and will strengthen our position as a community hospital. We look forward to building a strong partnership with UNC Health Care and we’re proud to become part of UNC’s longstanding tradition of excellence.”
“We are pleased to affiliate with Wayne Memorial Hospital and welcome them into our system,” said William L. Roper, MD, CEO of UNC Health Care. “This partnership combines the successful health care delivery at Wayne Memorial Hospital with the managerial experience and capabilities of our system. Wayne Memorial Hospital will help advance our system’s mission of providing excellent care, training the next generation of North Carolina’s physicians, and conducting groundbreaking research.”
Bill Paugh, President and CEO of Wayne Memorial Hospital since 2000, announced in February his plans to retire at the end of this year. UNC Health Care and Wayne Memorial Hospital will appoint an interim leader, and a formal search for a permanent President and CEO will begin immediately.
The Wayne Memorial Hospital Board announced in September that it would send out a request for proposals to several larger hospital systems to gauge interest in forming a partnership. Such a partnership could help the hospital achieve significant cost savings, enhance patient care and increase hospital-based clinical services for patients, Parker said then.
Both parties agree that when a contract between Wayne Memorial Hospital and UNC Health Care is finalized, it will not involve any sale or exchange of assets, and will allow the board to maintain local governance of the hospital. Wayne Memorial Hospital employees will keep their current jobs and will remain employees of Wayne Memorial Hospital, a private, not-for-profit hospital, not the state.
This affiliation will allow Wayne Memorial Hospital to provide a broader scope of resources to benefit its patients. Some of the primary benefits include:
- Expansion of locally available hospital and community-based patient care services to enhance patient care
- Improved patient experience and satisfaction
- Enhanced operational efficiency
- Recruitment of additional highly trained and skilled physicians
- Access to cutting-edge research and treatments at UNC Health Care
About Wayne Memorial Hospital
Wayne Memorial Hospital is a 316-bed community, not-for-profit hospital, which has been serving residents in Wayne County and surrounding areas for 120 years. With 1,700 employees, our mission is to provide quality healthcare services through the compassionate hands of well-trained staff in a technologically advanced, cost-effective manner. To learn more, please visit www.WayneHealth.org.
About UNC Health Care
The UNC Health Care System is a not-for-profit integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care.
UNC Health Care is comprised of UNC Hospitals, ranked consistently among the best medical centers in the country; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; community practices; home health and hospice services in seven central North Carolina counties; Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, NC; Chatham Hospital in Siler City, NC; High Point Regional Health System in High Point, NC; Johnston Health in Clayton and Smithfield, NC; Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Lenoir, NC; Nash Health Care in Rocky Mount, NC; UNC REX Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County; and the UNC Physicians Network.