Michael Jordan donates $10 million to open medical clinics in NC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Basketball legend Michael Jordan gifted a nonprofit health care system with $10 million to open a pair of new clinics in North Carolina, according to WSOC-TV and officials with Novant Health.

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The gift will allow Novant Health to open clinics in “rural and rural-adjacent communities” around Wilmington, the city where Jordan grew up. Officials with the health care group said the clinics are expected to open in early 2022.

“Everyone should have access to quality health care, no matter where they live, or whether or not they have insurance,” Jordan said in a statement released Monday by Novant Health. “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.”

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Previously, Jordan and Novant Health partnered to open a pair of family clinics in Charlotte, WSOC reported. Officials said the Novant health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte have so far seen over 4,500 patients and vaccinated nearly 1,000 people against COVID-19, with plans to expand as the supply of the vaccine increases.

“This pandemic has exacerbated health equity gaps across our state, making our efforts to close them even more emergent,” Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health, said Monday in a statement. “We are so appreciative of Michael’s unwavering commitment to help us bring affordable care to our communities that need it most. It’s not only an investment in us as a partner, but it’s an investment in each and every person that our clinics can reach.”

The newly announced gift raises the total Jordan’s donated to the Novant Health Foundation to $17 million, according to officials. The funds are aimed at developing clinics, which are owned and operated by Novant Health, officials said.

Cox Media Group