Lawmakers hear Rex Hospital complaints

WakeMed CEO Bill Atkinson finally found his audience Monday at a legislative committee charged with deciding whether the state should own Rex Hospital, WakeMed's cross-town rival. For more than a year, Atkinson has lodged the same litany of complaints against Rex and its owner, UNC Health Care. Atkinson's list of grievances is long: Rex doesn't pick up its fair share of charity care, Rex competes unfairly in Wake County with advantages harnessed through ties to UNC, Rex and UNC stole away a cardiology practice that helped offset losses at WakeMed.