UNC medical residents set to continue at WakeMed for now

For nearly 50 years, the UNC School of Medicine has had a partnership with WakeMed to train medical students and residents at its hospitals.

Why it matters: But WakeMed's looming merger with Atrium has put that partnership's long-term future into question, especially as Atrium has a close partnership with the Wake Forest School of Medicine and is currently helping it expand to the Charlotte area.

Driving the news: UNC's partnership with WakeMed will continue for at least another 10 years after the two entities renewed an agreement this year, a spokesperson for WakeMed told Axios.

State of play: WakeMed hasn't historically been affiliated with a medical school but has worked with the UNC School of Medicine, which has a surplus of students, The Assembly previously reported.

Nearly all of the 50 medical residents who work at WakeMed come from the UNC School of Medicine, though some also come from Duke, according to WakeMed.

UNC Health also put in a bid to acquire WakeMed after the Atrium deal went public. However, WakeMed did not pursue that deal after entering into an agreement with Atrium.

What they're saying: A spokesperson for UNC Health said in a statement it remains committed to training future health care professionals in North Carolina.

"Long-standing partnerships, including our valued collaboration with WakeMed to train medical students and residents for nearly 50 years, have been central to this work," UNC Health spokesperson Alan Wolf said in a statement.