Protesters Pack Normally Quiet Atrium Health Hospital Authority Meeting

By Michelle Crouch

Co-published with The Charlotte Ledger

The committee that oversees Atrium Health attracted an unusually rowdy crowd Tuesday day arsenic protestors from 2 groups packed nan room pinch signs and aesculapian equipment, and a man who tried to speak was escorted retired by police.

It was a stark opposition to emblematic Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority meetings, which are usually polite affairs attended by only 1 aliases 2 reporters.

Activists from Redress Charlotte, a societal justness group, showed up pinch crutches, walkers, cervix braces and different aesculapian devices, symbolic references to nan “healing” they said Atrium owes nan community. Some carried signs that publication “Healing starts pinch housing” and “Housing is healthcare.”

Although nan infirmary authority is a authorities entity that must clasp unfastened meetings, it doesn’t let nationalist comment.

Greg Jarrell, elder run organizer pinch Redress, said nan group wants Atrium to travel done connected nan affordable lodging promises it made successful 2021 erstwhile it secured $75 cardinal successful nationalist money for The Pearl, its aesculapian invention territory that opened past summer.

Atrium CEO Gene Woods promised on-site and off-site lodging when Atrium presented its connection for nan development to nan Charlotte City Council successful 2021. The specifications included improvement of affordable apartments and a abstracted 14-acre onshore aid connected North Tryon Street for 400 much units. So far, nary of nan lodging has been built, nan onshore hasn’t been donated and a Charlotte Ledger/NC Health News study recovered that a metropolis statement doesn’t require it.

“Atrium has surgery its connection to nan metropolis and nan county,” Jarrell said earlier nan meeting. “The treatment originates pinch honoring those promises.”

Atrium has said it is gathering its contractual obligations, it is moving pinch a developer to see affordable units astatine The Pearl, and it has placed deed restrictions connected nan North Tryon Street site.

The Pearl sits connected onshore that was erstwhile portion of Brooklyn, a vibrant Black organization that was razed successful nan 1960s for municipality renewal.

Out-of-town protesters pinch an inflatable pig 

Outside nan building, a group of national representatives and attraction workers from 2 Chicago-area hospitals tally by Atrium’s genitor institution Advocate Health lined nan sidewalk pinch signs and props, including a elephantine inflatable “CEO” pig successful a vest holding a sack of cash. (Advocate Health CEO Gene Woods took home $25.8 million successful 2024.)

Maintenance workers and national reps from 2 Advocate Health hospitals successful Chicago came to Charlotte to protestation what they opportunity are worse moving conditions since Advocate Aurora mixed pinch Atrium to shape Advocate Health. Credit: Michelle Crouch/NCHN

They said Advocate has refused to admit and discuss pinch recently formed unions amid what they described arsenic worsening moving conditions. 

The Atrium committee doesn’t oversee those hospitals, though respective members besides beryllium connected Advocate’s board.

When a newsman asked for comment, Advocate Health responded pinch a connection that said successful part, “We respect our teammates’ correct to see national practice aliases garbage it and are committed to fostering a collaborative and supportive activity environment, successful accordance pinch each laws and regulations.”

Inside, aft a financial presentation, a personnel of nan group stood up and said, “You guys look to beryllium doing beautiful good financially. It doesn’t look for illustration immoderate of this money is going toward workers.” 

After nan chair reminded him that nan committee doesn’t let nationalist comment, he continued talking and refused to beryllium backmost down. Police escorted him out.

Atrium’s 2025 nett income already astatine $1.4 billion

Also astatine nan meeting, nan board:

·       Allocated $450 cardinal for a caller infirmary successful Fort Mill, South Carolina. The planned 200,000-square-foot, four-story infirmary would unfastened pinch 60 beds successful 2029, alongside a abstracted 70,000-square-foot aesculapian agency building. The committee did not specify nan project’s nonstop location. The infirmary authority is restricted by North Carolina authorities rule from building caller hospitals much than 10 miles extracurricular nan Mecklenburg County line, but those rules don’t use successful different states. 

·       Nominated 3 caller members. The 24-member committee unanimously nominated 10 members to its board, but only 3 would beryllium new: Steve Smoot, president of Advocate Health’s North Carolina and Georgia division; Chris Jackson, CEO of Goodwill Industries of nan Southern Piedmont; and David Sheffer, a section investor who helped turn MyEyeDr from 35 section clinics to much than 800 locations nationwide pinch much than $1 cardinal successful revenue.  

Under authorities statute, nan board’s nominees must beryllium approved by Mecklenburg County commissioners chair Mark Jerrell. Jarrell of Redress Charlotte said earlier nan gathering that nan group’s members would meet pinch Jerrell connected Dec. 3 to promote him to push Atrium to see much community-minded individuals connected its board.

·       Reported grounds gross and income truthful acold this year. Atrium is again exceeding its ain fund expectations, pinch $10.5 cardinal successful gross and $1.4 cardinal successful nett income, aliases profit, for nan first 9 months of 2025. That intends nan strategy has already surpassed nan $1.31 cardinal successful nett income it earned successful each of 2024.  

Those figures do not see gross from Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health aliases from hospitals successful Illinois and Wisconsin that joined pinch Atrium successful 2022 to create Advocate Health, nan country’s third-largest nationalist infirmary system. Advocate reported astir $35 cardinal successful revenues successful 2024.

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