Key Takeaways
- • The Duke Endowment has committed more than $1.57 million in new funding to Atrium Health to extend pediatric hospital-level care into patients' homes and broaden school-based telehealth behavioral health services in North Carolina, according to an Atrium Health announcement dated October 1, 2026.
- • The largest award, $950,000 over two years, will fund Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital at Home, targeting approximately 160 babies and their families, with a focus on medically fragile infants and family education.
- • A $625,000, three-year grant will expand Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte's School-Based Virtual Therapy model from Sandhills Community College to four additional community colleges, with an expected 300-plus mental health referrals and roughly 200 students served.
- • The Duke Endowment has provided more than $54 million in grants to the Atrium Health Foundation over three decades, per the announcement.
Summary
The Duke Endowment has awarded more than $1.57 million in new grants to Atrium Health, the Charlotte-based health system, to expand pediatric and behavioral health access across North Carolina, according to an Atrium Health News release dated October 1, 2026. The funding is intended to extend acute-level pediatric care into patients' homes and to broaden telehealth behavioral health services for students in rural and high-need communities.
The largest award is a $950,000 grant over two years for Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital at Home. The program, launched in 2025, is positioned by Advocate Health, Atrium's parent organization, as the only health system in the nation offering home-based, hospital-level care to both pediatric and adult patients. Researchers will study how to educate and support families of medically fragile infants so they can safely take part in their child's care at home, with the project expected to serve approximately 160 babies and their families. Dr. Tonya Obita, a pediatrician at Atrium Health and principal investigator on the grant-funded project, said the work will focus on neonates and medically complex infants while improving program efficiency and equity.
A $625,000 grant over three years will expand Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte's School-Based Virtual Therapy model from Sandhills Community College to South Piedmont Community College, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Montgomery Community College and Stanly Community College. Students will receive virtual therapy and psychiatry services on campus-provided or personal devices, supported by therapists, psychiatric providers, licensed support staff and community health workers who can help with housing, food insecurity and financial assistance. Donnie Mitchem, director of Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte, said the initiative addresses a gap in care for students in rural communities.
Lin Hollowell, director of the healthcare program area at The Duke Endowment, said the grants reflect founder James B. Duke's commitment to removing barriers to healthcare. Mark Griffith, president of Atrium Health Foundation and Advocate Health's vice president of philanthropy for North Carolina and Georgia, described The Duke Endowment as an invaluable partner. The release notes that the Endowment has supported Atrium Health's healthcare initiatives for more than three decades, with over $54 million in grants to the Atrium Health Foundation.
The largest award is a $950,000 grant over two years for Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital at Home. The program, launched in 2025, is positioned by Advocate Health, Atrium's parent organization, as the only health system in the nation offering home-based, hospital-level care to both pediatric and adult patients. Researchers will study how to educate and support families of medically fragile infants so they can safely take part in their child's care at home, with the project expected to serve approximately 160 babies and their families. Dr. Tonya Obita, a pediatrician at Atrium Health and principal investigator on the grant-funded project, said the work will focus on neonates and medically complex infants while improving program efficiency and equity.
A $625,000 grant over three years will expand Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte's School-Based Virtual Therapy model from Sandhills Community College to South Piedmont Community College, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Montgomery Community College and Stanly Community College. Students will receive virtual therapy and psychiatry services on campus-provided or personal devices, supported by therapists, psychiatric providers, licensed support staff and community health workers who can help with housing, food insecurity and financial assistance. Donnie Mitchem, director of Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte, said the initiative addresses a gap in care for students in rural communities.
Lin Hollowell, director of the healthcare program area at The Duke Endowment, said the grants reflect founder James B. Duke's commitment to removing barriers to healthcare. Mark Griffith, president of Atrium Health Foundation and Advocate Health's vice president of philanthropy for North Carolina and Georgia, described The Duke Endowment as an invaluable partner. The release notes that the Endowment has supported Atrium Health's healthcare initiatives for more than three decades, with over $54 million in grants to the Atrium Health Foundation.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.