Rex Healthcare Unveils New Name: UNC REX Healthcare

Name makes it clear Rex is part of renowned academic health system

RALEIGH, N.C. – Rex Healthcare, the hospital system with a proud history of serving patients from Raleigh and beyond since 1894, has changed its name to UNC REX Healthcare.

The new name reflects the closer collaboration between Rex and UNC Health Care, a partnership that has continued to expand since Rex became part of the larger system in 2000. The name change will help reinforce the connection between hospitals and clinic sites in Chapel Hill, Raleigh and surrounding areas. It will remind patients that UNC REX and UNC Medical Center are unified under the UNC Health Care system brand to provide access to the highest quality specialized care, research and innovation.

Rex Hospital opened in 1894 after Raleigh tanner John Rex bequeathed his fortune for a place to heal the city’s sick and afflicted. In recent years, Rex has evolved from a community hospital that mostly served patients from Wake County, into a tertiary-level, regional referral center that provides specialized care for a much wider region. That ongoing evolution will enter a new chapter when the new, eight-story N.C. Heart & Vascular Hospital opens on Rex’s main Raleigh campus in early 2017.

“The new name is respectful of Rex’s history and heritage in Raleigh, while better incorporating our system name to help extend our hospital system’s excellent reputation on a statewide and national level,” said Rex president Steve Burriss. “As our providers continue to work more collaboratively with other health system providers, it must be clear to consumers and patients that Rex Healthcare is part of the UNC Health Care system.”