The Duke Endowment Gives $50 Million for Medical Education Facility, Pediatric Care

The Duke Endowment of Charlotte is giving $50 million to the Duke University Medical Center to help build a medical education facility and to develop a state-of-the-art inpatient facility for pediatric patients, Duke President Richard H. Brodhead and Chancellor for Health Affairs Victor J. Dzau, M.D., announced Monday. The $50 million gift is the largest single gift received by the Duke University Medical Center.

Russell M. Robinson, chairman of The Duke Endowment, presented the gift to Brodhead and Dzau at a ceremony held in the lobby of the McGovern-Davison Children's Health Center at Duke University that was attended by Duke Medicine faculty and staff, as well as members of The Duke Endowment's board of trustees.

"James B. Duke's original gift in 1925 created the School of Medicine, hospital and nurses' home, and The Duke Endowment has continued that important relationship over the years," Robinson said. "This new gift reflects so very well our founder's compassion for children and his desire for quality health care and education. As Mr. Duke was driven by a spirit of innovation, we saw this as a unique opportunity to help create state-of-the-art facilities, provide patient-centered care and educate people of ability and vision."

In accepting the gift, Dzau said, "We are tremendously grateful for this generous and important investment by The Duke Endowment in the future of the Duke University Medical Center. Mr. Duke would be exceedingly proud of the quality of clinical care, basic and scientific research, and education and training conducted within the Medical Center. This gift will enable us to continue successfully pursuing excellence across all of these important missions."

Plans call for $35 million to go toward the construction of a Duke University School of Medicine Education Center, which will enhance opportunities for medical students to learn and interact with one another, instructors and clinical and basic research faculty in one location.

"It is becoming increasingly important to have a facility that can house initiatives such as simulation labs and provide space for the team-based learning programs that are rapidly replacing traditional lecture-based learning," said Nancy Andrews, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the Duke University School of Medicine.

Officials said the site for the Education Center has not been finalized, but plans for the building include classrooms, lecture halls and gathering areas with moveable walls and seating so groups of up to 500 people can be accommodated in one place. The building could also will include office space for admissions and educational staff, study and lounge areas for students, a café and bookstore and possibly a fitness center. The remaining $15 million will be used to create a leading-edge facility for the McGovern-Davison Children's Health Center at Duke. It will link all inpatient and outpatient services consolidating all pediatric and adolescent beds in a family friendly environment designed to meet the needs of this specialized population.

Past gifts from The Duke Endowment to the Duke University Medical Center have supported the main Duke University Hospital building, several research buildings, the children's health center, the Albert Eye Research Center and the School of Nursing building.

"Financial support from The Duke Endowment throughout the history of the Duke University School of Medicine and Duke University Medical Center has been a major factor in our ability to achieve and maintain a position of national and international leadership in academic medicine," said R. Sanders Williams, M.D., senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.

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Started in 1924 by Duke University founder James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment in Charlotte, NC, seeks to improve lives and communities in the Carolinas through higher education, health care, rural churches and children's services. With assets of over $3.2 billion, the Endowment has awarded more than $2.2 billion in grants since its inception.

For more information about The Duke Endowment, see http://www.dukeendowment.org/.