NBA icon Michael Jordan has announced a donation of $10 million to open two new medical clinics in North Carolina. Set to open in early 2022, the clinics will provide affordable medical access and care in Jordan’s hometown of Wilmington.
The announcement was made by regional health care provider Novant Health, which also announced that the new clinics will follow the work of the two other clinics that Jordan had helped open in Charlotte earlier. The ace NBA star, who is also the owner of Charlotte Hornets, had donated $7 million in 2017 to Novant Health to build two health facilities in Charlotte. The first clinic opened in 2019 whereas the second opened in October 2020.
These two clinics have served over 4,500 patients from the most vulnerable communities and have also provided 1,000 Covid-19 vaccines.
“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.”
“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,” Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health, said 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.”
This, however, is not the first time that Jordan’s philanthropic nature has been on display. Amid the pandemic, he announced a donation of $2 million from his famous documentary, “The Last Dance” to feed the hungry ahead of Thanksgiving. In June, after the killing of George Floyd due to police brutality, he announced $100 million against fighting racial injustice and systemic inequality.
