Published on December 03, 2020

Southeastern Health Officially Becomes UNC Health Southeastern

Long-term regional partnership complete, will increase access to high-quality healthcare services in Southeastern North Carolina

ParkinglotLUMBERTON, N.C. (December 3, 2020) – Leaders from Southeastern Health and UNC Health announced today that the two organizations have finalized a long-term, comprehensive Management Services Agreement (MSA) in which Southeastern Health becomes the newest member of UNC Health’s growing statewide footprint.

“This milestone reflects the hard work of our Board, leadership team, physicians and employees. We are incredibly excited to be taking this important step forward together,” said Kenneth Rust, chair of the Southeastern Board of Trustees. “As we shared last month, this partnership is all about our shared commitment to expand access to high-quality, cost-effective care here in Robeson County and the surrounding region.

With the agreement finalized, Southeastern is no longer a stand-alone, independent health system but rather part of North Carolina’s leading public academic health system, UNC Health.

“Aligning with UNC Health will allow UNC Health Southeastern to become an even stronger regional healthcare leader,” said, Joann Anderson, President & CEO of UNC Health Southeastern. “Through this relationship, we’ll be able to leverage enhanced opportunities to recruit and retain highly-skilled physicians and caregivers to the area and maintain and grow the services we offer today – all while keeping care local. This is a great move that will positively impact the health and wellbeing of the community we serve.

In addition to adopting a new name and brand, UNC Health Southeastern will begin the process of transitioning daily operations to more closely align with the protocols, policies, procedures and high clinical standards established by UNC Health and used throughout the health system. UNC Health Southeastern will also be adopting the ONE UNC Health System Values to guide the cultural integration.

“We’re happy to welcome Southeastern co-workers to the UNC Health family,” said Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health. “We look forward to learning from each other to serve the community, and to create a healthier North Carolina.”

To commemorate the occasion, a virtual celebration was held this morning at the UNC Health Southeastern campus. The video is available on the hospital’s Facebook page.

For more information about how UNC Health Southeastern will be moving forward as part of the UNC Health system, please visit www.SEHealthForward.org.

 A new name, UNC Health Southeastern, and logo were unveiled as part of a celebration which was broadcast virtually using Facebook and Zoom on the grounds of Southeastern Regional Medical Center on Dec. 3 to formally announce that Southeastern Health and UNC Health have finalized a long-term, comprehensive Management Services Agreement (MSA). Pictured at the announcement, from left, were UNC Health Southeastern President/CEO Joann Anderson, at podium, Chris Ellington, UNC Health Network Hospitals President, and UNC Health Southeastern Board Chair Kenneth Rust.

About UNC Health

UNC Health is an 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 is comprised of UNC Hospitals at Chapel Hill, ranked consistently among the best medical centers in the country; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; Pardee UNC Health Care in Hendersonville; Chatham Hospital in Siler City; Johnston Health in Clayton and Smithfield; UNC Lenoir Health Care in Kinston; Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro; Caldwell UNC Health Care in Lenoir; Nash UNC Health Care in Rocky Mount; UNC Rockingham Health Care in Eden, Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, UNC REX Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County; and the UNC Physicians Network.

For more information, please visit www.unchealthcare.org.

About UNC Health Southeastern

UNC Health Southeastern is part of the UNC Health system, North Carolina’s leading public academic health system. Licensed for 452 beds, UNC Health Southeastern offers an array of acute care, intensive care and psychiatric services to the residents of Southeastern North Carolina and the surrounding region. UNC Health Southeastern serves 15,000 inpatients and 61,000 emergency patients annually.