In a groundbreaking collaboration, UNC Health and Duke Health have unveiled plans to construct North Carolina's first standalone children's hospital, aptly named "NC Children's." Situated in the Research Triangle region, encompassing Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, this 500-bed facility is projected to cost over $2 billion and is expected to be completed within six years.​

The comprehensive campus will feature a children's outpatient care center, a behavioral health center, and research and education facilities affiliated with the medical schools of both health systems. The initiative has garnered substantial support, including a $320 million appropriation from the North Carolina General Assembly, underscoring the state's commitment to advancing pediatric healthcare.​

Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health and dean of the UNC School of Medicine, emphasized the project's significance: "This is a big splash that will ripple out literally for years and years and impact the people in our state and region in ways that I know we can't even imagine ... ."​

The establishment of "NC Children's" is anticipated to not only elevate the standard of pediatric care but also to stimulate economic development by creating thousands of jobs during its construction and operational phases.