Atrium Health Foundation Receives Transformational Award from The Duke Endowment

Major grants will advance rural health, education and care team support 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 11, 2025 –Atrium Health Foundation was recently awarded over $4 million from The Duke Endowment through five grants that will significantly advance Atrium Health’s commitments to uplifting the communities it serves and advancing rural health initiatives. The award marks the biggest gift the Foundation has received from The Duke Endowment to date.

The largest of the grants — $1.45 million — will help launch a virtual nursing program at Atrium Health Stanly, making it the first all-wired virtual nursing facility in rural North Carolina. Building upon the success of the virtual nursing program implemented across Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health is a part, Atrium Health Stanly will leverage digital technology to deliver high-quality care to all members of the community. The virtual nursing program, which is expected to create 50 new jobs in Stanly County, will provide significant benefits for both the patients and the care teams.

“We are grateful to The Duke Endowment for embracing Atrium Health’s forward-thinking approach to meeting our evolving needs for nursing care,” said Marietta Abernathy, facility executive for Atrium Health Stanly. “Having cameras in every room will enable our bedside nurses to focus on direct patient care while virtual nurses provide continuous monitoring and timely interventions, helping to reduce hospital readmissions and improve outcomes.” 

“We are building upon the successes of the Atrium Health Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency Program, which embeds residents in clinics to provide maternity and primary care access,” said Dr. Erika Steinbacher, designated institutional official of Atrium Health Cabarrus and vice-chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine. “We aim to refine this model and replicate it for recruiting, training and retaining physicians in other rural communities we serve.” 

Physicians across Atrium Health will also receive support from The Duke Endowment through a $559,000 grant that will study the Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Copilot’s impact on clinicians who use the transcription tool’s Spanish-language translation capabilities. The goal is to use the advanced AI-powered tool for translation purposes, which will streamline workflow, enhance clinician and patient experiences and improve access to care.

In both rural and urban areas, and through philanthropic support, Atrium Health has addressed access to care by embedding virtual clinics in over 200 schools in 10 counties in North Carolina. To address the need to modernize scheduling for the rapidly growing program, The Duke Endowment awarded a $775,000 grant to develop a user-friendly mobile app and web-based platform. The new technology will improve workflow and communications between schools and Atrium Health.

A $755,000 grant from The Duke Endowment will support another school-based program — the Health Sciences Academy at Atrium Health Union. A partnership between Union County Public Schools and Atrium Health, the Academy prepares students for a successful future by providing them with experiences in health sciences careers and pathways. The grant will support a dedicated new headquarters at Atrium Health Union, where students from the Academy’s four school locations will have enhanced learning opportunities, including use of a simulation lab. Funds will also help provide apprenticeship positions.

"We share Atrium Health’s commitment to ensuring access to care in communities where people live and work,” said Lin Hollowell, director of health care at The Duke Endowment. “Whether through supporting emerging technologies or enhancing existing programs, together we can make a profound impact on our communities for generations to come.” 

For more than three decades, The Duke Endowment has remained a visionary supporter of health care initiatives at Atrium Health and has now provided more than $50 million in grants to Atrium Health Foundation.