A Duke-affiliated group is pushing back against a high-dollar lawsuit over Wilson Medical Center, where the parties are locked in a fight over what a roughly 20 percent ownership stake is really worth. The Healthcare Foundation of Wilson says it is owed more than $55 million for that minority interest, while the majority owner insists it lived up to its contract during buyout talks. The answer could decide how, and whether, any proceeds from the sale end up back in local health programs.
According to Triangle Business Journal, court filings show the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson is asking the Special Superior Court for Complex Business Cases in Wake County to step in. The foundation wants a judicial valuation of its ownership interest and has named the hospital’s majority owner, along with its managing partner, as defendants in the case.
How the joint venture works
The dispute traces back to a 2014 joint venture that brought Wilson Medical Center under the Duke LifePoint Healthcare umbrella. That deal gave Duke LifePoint an 80 percent controlling stake in the hospital and included multi-year capital commitments, as reported by Fierce Healthcare. The Healthcare Foundation of Wilson says that last year it voted to exercise a put option that allowed it to sell its minority stake, with an independent valuation to follow, according to a post on the foundation’s website.
What the suit says
The foundation’s complaint asks the court to determine the fair-market value of its roughly 20 percent stake in Wilson Medical Center and to award the proceeds it argues are owed, Triangle Business Journal reports. A Duke LifePoint affiliate has fired back in its own filings, contesting the foundation’s valuation and urging the court to reject those figures.
Next steps in court
The Foundation has said that an independent appraisal will be part of the process and that any money it ultimately receives from the sale would be funneled into community health efforts. "Exercising our option to sell our interest in the hospital gives the Foundation greater flexibility to address Wilson’s greatest health needs," the foundation wrote on its site. From here, the court will oversee the valuation process, handle discovery and schedule any future hearings.
Why it matters locally
However it ends, the fight is poised to ripple through Wilson’s health landscape. A win for the Foundation would mean fresh cash for local grantmaking and health programs. A victory for the defense would preserve the existing joint-venture structure and keep Duke LifePoint’s capital plan for the hospital intact. The showdown highlights how minority‑ownership clauses and put options negotiated during hospital deals can resurface years later as high‑stakes litigation.
