APEX — North Carolina Children’s received a $100 million grant from The Duke Endowment toward its planned pediatric health system and Apex campus, the project’s largest philanthropic commitment to date.
The completed grant adds private capital to a project that has already received $424.5 million in state funding. North Carolina Children’s, created by UNC Health and Duke Health, says it is developing an independent health system focused on children and adolescents.
The planned Apex campus carries an estimated $3 billion price tag. Current plans call for an approximately 500-bed acute-care children’s hospital, a 70-bed pediatric behavioral-health hospital, an ambulatory surgery center and facilities for research, medical education and training, according to North Carolina Health News.
The $100 million commitment is significant, but it does not mean the full campus is financed or under construction. Project leaders are pursuing a $1 billion private fundraising goal and expect private commitments to exceed $175 million by the end of 2026, North Carolina Health News reported.
The project’s business consequence extends beyond the hospital buildings. It would combine clinical care, research and medical education under a system backed by two of North Carolina’s largest academic health organizations. Project advocates say the system is intended to serve the state’s 2.3 million children and place specialized pediatric care within a three-hour drive for about 75% of North Carolina families.
Groundbreaking is planned for 2027, with an opening targeted for the early 2030s. Those construction and operating milestones remain prospective. The new event is the finalized $100 million grant, which materially advances the capital plan while substantial fundraising, site development and construction remain ahead.