Michael Jordan donates $10 million for 2 new medical clinics in his North Carolina hometown
NBA legend and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan has donated $10 million to open two new medical clinics in North Carolina, regional health care provider Novant Health announced Monday. The clinics are set to open in New Hanover County in early 2022, improving affordable access to care in Wilmington – Jordan's hometown.
The new facilities would follow the work of Jordan's other two clinics in Charlotte, offering vital services to those who are uninsured and underinsured, according to Novant Health.
"I am very proud to once again partner with Novant Health to expand the Family Clinic model to bring better access to critical medical services in my hometown," Jordan said in a statement. "Everyone should have access to quality health care, no matter where they live, or whether or not they have insurance. Wilmington holds a special place in my heart and it's truly gratifying to be able to give back to the community that supported me throughout my life."
Novant Health said the two Michael Jordan Family Clinics have seen more than 4,500 patients and provided response to the coronavirus pandemic. It also said nearly 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, with plans to scale up vaccination supports as supply increases. Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health said Jordan's donation is "an investment in each and every person that our clinics can reach."
"This pandemic has exacerbated health equity gaps across our state, making our efforts to close them even more emergent. We look forward to standing these clinics up as quickly as possible to ensure all members of the community have access to necessary medical care," Armato said. "We are so appreciative of Michael's unwavering commitment to help us bring affordable care to our communities that need it most."
Jordan has contributed $17 million in total to the Novant Health Foundation with the goal of opening clinics. In 2017, Jordan made a $7 million donation to Novant Health to build two state-of-the-art facilities in Charlotte. The first opened in 2019 and the second in October.
Jordan's philanthropy has been on full display over the last year. He donated $2 million in proceeds from "The Last Dance" documentary to help the hungry ahead of Thanksgiving amid the pandemic. Before the film aired, he said he would donate proceeds of the 10-part series to Friends of the Children, a national nonprofit that provides vulnerable children with professional mentors. In June, Jordan and the Jordan Brand announced a $100 million donation over the next decade to help the ongoing fight against racial injustice in wake of the police killing of George Floyd.