RALEIGH, October 21, 2026 — North Carolina Children’s announced a $100 million grant from The Duke Endowment on Tuesday morning, marking the largest philanthropic commitment to the developing Apex campus. The project aims to end the era of families traveling out of state for specialized pediatric care by establishing a comprehensive medical hub.
Addressing a Critical Care Gap
North Carolina is currently the largest state without a freestanding children’s hospital, according to North Carolina Children’s COO Ian Buchanan. Existing regional facilities rely on pediatric units that often lack the specialized beds and services needed to support the growing population. As a result, the state currently records the highest number of children flown out to other hospitals for medical care, according to Thomas Owens, Chief Operating Officer of Duke University Health System and NC Children’s Administrator.
The new campus is designed to keep families closer to home for treatments involving cancer, genetic diseases, and complex care. Apex was chosen as the location because it is within three hours of 75 percent of North Carolina families, many of whom previously had to travel to Washington D.C. or Atlanta for specialized medical attention, according to project leaders. The site will house a 500-bed children’s hospital, a behavioral health hospital, and a surgical center by the early 2030s.
Project Funding and Scope
The multibillion-dollar development is projected to cost about $3 billion given the current construction timeline. Funding for the massive infrastructure effort includes $425 million from the state, along with $500 million each committed by UNC Health and Duke Health. The $100 million gift from The Duke Endowment ranks among the 10 largest philanthropic contributions in North Carolina history, according to Precision Strategies, a public relations firm involved in the development.
Additional support includes a $25 million gift announced in January by North Carolina-based Coca-Cola Consolidated. The pediatric programs of both UNC Health and Duke Health will transition to the new facility upon opening. Medical and nursing students will also utilize the campus for their pediatric rotations.
Economic Impact and Timeline
The hospital campus forms the anchor of the Veridea development, a large mixed-use community spanning about 1,100 acres in western Wake. State officials estimate that the campus will create about 8,000 direct jobs, alongside thousands of potential indirect jobs, and add $27 billion to the state economy. A new Wake Tech Community College campus is also planned adjacent to the hospital, specifically designed to focus on the needs of children requiring complex care for chronic illnesses or behavioral health.
Groundbreaking on the new campus is planned for 2027, with construction expected to take about six years. Project leaders anticipate that the hospital will open in the early 2030s, accompanied by ongoing local infrastructure improvements such as roadway updates along Highway 55.
Support from The Duke Endowment
The $100 million grant comes from The Duke Endowment, a nonprofit organization dedicated to community advancement. According to Charles Lucas III, Chair of the Duke Endowment Board of Trustees, the organization has supported many children’s hospitals across the Carolinas that perform “amazing work.” Lucas noted that this specific collaboration between two major academic medical centers is set to create something “really quite special” by closing existing gaps in the regional pediatric healthcare ecosystem.
While this contribution marks the largest philanthropic commitment to the project to date, additional information regarding further grants and donations is expected to be released in late 2026 or 2027, according to Morgan Abbott, President of the North Carolina Children’s Foundation. The project partners, UNC Health and Duke Health, continue to seek donations to cover the remaining costs of the $3 billion development beyond the funding already committed by the state and the two health systems.
Sources
- $100 million grant to North Carolina Children’s project: major step in bringing pediatric care home
- NC Children's Hospital secures $100 million grant, will break ground in 2027 – NewsBreak
- Stock Portfolio Management & Tracker – Yahoo Finance
Photo: William Yeung (CC BY 2.0)
