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Can Atrium Health’s plans for med school deliver for Charlotte?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Discussions began decades ago about a four-year medical school in Charlotte. A recent deal between two North Carolina health systems is bringing that goal closer than ever.

In October, Atrium Health, Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest School of Medicine solidified their partnership about a year and a half after announcing it. The deal — characterized as a strategic combination, not an acquisition — will bring Wake Forest under the Atrium name and create a second School of Medicine campus in Charlotte.

The proposed school would support about 3,500 students each year, including Wake Forest School of Medicine and local residents, fellows and nursing students. There would be more than 100 specialized programs.

A Tripp Umbach study estimates the combination’s annual economic impact will be $32.7 billion and about 183,500 jobs at first, expanding to $54 billion and 275,000 jobs by 2040.

The Atrium-Wake Forest deal will also generate an initial $1.1 billion in state and local taxes, according to the study.

“When you look at strong communities around the country that have done really well over decades and decades, it’s hard to find one that has not had a really solid educational infrastructure,” said Dr. James McDeavitt, dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of Medicine. He was chief academic officer at then-Carolinas HealthCare System from 2011 to 2013, capping off a 22-year tenure there.

Atrium has not confirmed the school’s location, potential size or cost. It expects to fund the project with internal resources and a capital campaign.

The arrival of a medical school in Charlotte brings a broad range of benefits. A four-year school would train the next generation of doctors, focusing on population health and technology. It would create research opportunities where the area lags behind peer markets. Medical schools are economic engines, adding more jobs and supporting industry expansion.

In its most recent cover story, the Charlotte Business Journal explores how it could drive change in Charlotte. Read more here.