Colleges of Health Sciences Combination Exploration
Atrium Health is a recognized leader in health sciences education, producing highly skilled nursing and allied health professionals through its two esteemed and high performing institutions: Cabarrus College of Health Sciences in Concord, North Carolina, and Carolinas College of Health Sciences in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each college is well-respected in academic and health care fields and both are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is also accredited to award master’s degrees.
To create a shared vision for the future, leadership from the academic enterprise of Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health is a part, and the Boards of Directors of both colleges have initiated a period of discovery to explore the possibility of combining the two colleges into one unified institution that would set the standard for a National Academic Model for health care education across Advocate Health.
To create a shared vision for the future, leadership from the academic enterprise of Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health is a part, and the Boards of Directors of both colleges have initiated a period of discovery to explore the possibility of combining the two colleges into one unified institution that would set the standard for a National Academic Model for health care education across Advocate Health.
FAQ
Atrium Health envisions expanding its high-quality academic programs across the Advocate Health footprint, developing a National Academic Model to bring educational opportunities to both urban and rural areas. This expansion aims to meet critical workforce needs while encouraging graduates to remain in their communities, providing compassionate, high-quality health care.
Combining Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and Carolinas College of Health Sciences would enable a unified vision for health care education across Advocate Health, ensuring consistent and high-quality content and delivery. The combination would enhance student, financial and administrative services, providing more support for operational models on a larger scale and strengthen the institution's identity. Additionally, it would bolster branding and marketing capabilities, streamline accreditation processes and expand opportunities for students and staff as part of Advocate Health’s National Academic Model.
A period of discovery is a term used to describe the time in which leaders from the two institutions as well as Advocate Health will explore the impact of combining the two colleges in order to identify potential ramifications and opportunities and to develop plans for implementation of a combination. Every aspect of college life will be examined, including curriculum, financial aid, calendars, governance, strategic plans, accreditation, faculty workload, student events, student support services, accounting processes, library services and more. This will also be a time to explore potential growth opportunities across the Advocate Health footprint.
There will be ongoing communication about the process from the college presidents and/or board chairs. The timeline is subject to change throughout the process, but we anticipate approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), legislative bodies and Advocate Health leadership in time for implementation in the academic year 2026-2027.
Students and staff will continue to follow the curricula of their respective institutions. Until final approval of the combination, each college will continue to function independently, and we expect little to no impact on student experience or operations.
We aim to ensure that there is no impact on financial aid for current students before final approval of the combination, which is anticipated in the academic year 2026-2027. Each college will continue to function independently during this period of discovery. When completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), students attending Cabarrus College of Health Sciences should continue to use school code 015358. Students attending Carolinas College of Health Sciences should continue to use school code 031042.
Following approval of the combination, our goal is to work closely with the Department of Education and donors to make the transition as seamless as possible for students who currently receive financial aid or scholarships as well as students who are applying for these programs.
The Academic Enterprise for Advocate Health includes Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, Carolinas College of Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine (inclusive of education programs and research activities, including Centers of Excellence), residency programs at six sponsoring teaching hospitals across NC, GA, IL, and WI; innovation districts (such as Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem and The Pearl in Charlotte).
No, the scope of this work does not include Wake Forest University, Wake Forest University School of Medicine or any schools within Wake Forest University. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and Carolinas College of Health Sciences are the only institutions in the scope of this combination.
A process will be developed with representation from the community, boards from both colleges, faculty, staff and students along with Atrium Health leadership to name the new institution, as well as to develop its branding, including colors, mascot, logo, etc.