Wake Forest School of Medicine to be built in midtown Charlotte

Charlotte will soon be included on the list of the largest U.S. cities with a four-year medical school, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. For months, following the announcement that Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health have combined to operate as a single enterprise, the discussion around the Queen City has been where a second campus of Wake Forest School of Medicine will be located in Charlotte. Leaders from Atrium Health, Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University today announced they’ve chosen a 20-acre site in midtown Charlotte, at the current corner of South McDowell Street and Baxter Street, adjacent to US-277.

“Through our partnership with Wake Forest School of Medicine, today we fulfill a long-held desire for Charlotte to have a four-year medical school that will usher in a brand-new era of healthcare education, innovation and social impact,” said Eugene A. Woods, president and CEO of Atrium Health. “The significant investments we are making will not only enrich countless lives as we train the next generation of top-tier clinicians but will also be a pivotal economic driver that will propel us forward as we emerge from the pandemic, stronger than ever.”

Artist’s rendering

The school of medicine campus will be located less than three-quarters of a mile from Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center. The campus of the health system’s flagship hospital is undergoing an extensive renovation, ensuring the school of medicine students will have access to the most modern, state-of-the-art facilities and technology in all of their learning environments.

“This location for Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Charlotte campus will provide our students the perfect mix of expertise,” said Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag, chief academic officer for Atrium Health and dean of Wake Forest School of Medicine. “And with the latest technology, whether students are learning in Winston-Salem or this new, second campus, their immersive experience will be second to none. In addition to having the opportunity to learn from some of the finest minds in academia and take part in life-changing research, Wake Forest School of Medicine students and residents will have easy access to the renowned experts practicing at our combined world-class service lines across multiple specialties.”

“A second campus for Wake Forest School of Medicine in Charlotte is truly a significant milestone for both health and education in the Southeast,” said Nathan O. Hatch, president of Wake Forest University. “It will also be a driving force for innovation in the corridor between Winston-Salem and Charlotte.”

“We are excited about the significant opportunities that our partnership with Atrium Health and the new facility will afford us, as we seek to better serve our communities in Charlotte and Winston Salem and enhance the dynamic connections between the two vibrant cities,” Hatch said.

Read the full news release here.

Featured image is an artist’s rendering