Duke Endowment gives $100 million for children's hospital

The Duke Endowment has awarded North Carolina Children’s $100 million to help build a new pediatric health system in Apex, the project’s largest philanthropic gift to date. Established by Duke Health and UNC Health, the system is planned as the Carolinas’ first independent, freestanding children’s health system and follows about $425 million in state funding. Its campus is expected to include a roughly 500-bed children’s hospital, a 70-bed behavioral health hospital, a surgery center, and research and medical education facilities. Groundbreaking is planned for 2027, with the campus expected to open in the early 2030s. Supporters say it will expand access to specialized pediatric treatment and research, allowing more families to receive care closer to home.