New children’s hospital will transform care for the most vulnerable

Duke Health constantly challenges the status quo to deliver world-class care to our North Carolina community. Sometimes that means an innovative collaboration with a perceived rival to meet a major need.

To that end, Duke Health has teamed up with UNC Health to create a new children’s health system in North Carolina, featuring the state’s only freestanding hospital dedicated to caring for kids. The new organization will be called NC Children’s, and its home base in the Triangle will include a 500-bed children’s hospital, a children’s outpatient care center and a children’s behavioral health center.

The state of North Carolina seeded the partnership in 2024 by investing $320 million. While the exact site is to be determined, plans are for a robust research and education enterprise backed by the medical schools of both universities. The partnership aims to provide a higher volume of highly specialized pediatric care, enabling families from across the state to remain in North Carolina when seeking complex care.

“Children are the heart of our future, and families across North Carolina deserve access to the most comprehensive, highest quality care for their children,” said Craig Albanese, M.D., CEO of Duke University Health System. “This is a tremendous and unique opportunity to work together to reimagine how we deliver life-changing care to our region’s most vulnerable and we are grateful for the support of our state’s legislature.”

“This dedicated children’s hospital will reflect our commitment to providing best possible care for children – not only now but for generations to come,” said Mary E. Klotman, M.D., executive vice president for Health Affairs for Duke University, chief academic officer of Duke Health and dean of Duke University School of Medicine. “By uniting our institutions and disciplines, we can give children the healthy lives they deserve, achieve remarkable breakthroughs, and nurture the future leaders of health care.”

The partners plan to break ground together on the new NC Children’s campus by 2027, with construction of the campus expected to take approximately six years. The hospital is expected to open in the early 2030s. Other core services such as the children’s behavioral health hospital, ambulatory surgical center, or medical office building may open several years earlier.

At a Glance:

• Campus: NC Children’s will include 100+ acre campus in the Triangle, anchored by a ~500-bed hospital along with an ambulatory surgical center, medical office building, and behavioral health hospital. The campus will include play areas and rehabilitation facilities, translational research capabilities with a dedicated innovation/collaboration zone, and a mixed-use infrastructure including the potential for hotels, retail, dining, etc.
• Services: UNC Health and Duke University Health System will transfer all pediatric-related clinical services, programs & operations to NC Children’s.
• Pediatric Research and Education: Pediatric research and education functions will remain with the UNC School of Medicine and Duke School of Medicine for the foreseeable future, although they may be conducted at NC Children’s once operational, particularly clinical teaching and research.
• Affiliations: NC Children’s will have perpetual academic affiliations with the Duke and UNC schools of medicine, serving as both organizations’ pediatric teaching hospital.