Michael Jordan Donates $10M To Open NC Health Clinics

NORTH CAROLINA — Basketball legend Michael Jordan is providing an assist for his hometown in North Carolina by donating $10 million that will be used to open two new medical clinics in New Hanover County.

The family clinics will provide comprehensive primary care, behavioral health and social support for uninsured and underinsured patients in rural and rural-adjacent communities, Novant Health said.

The clinics are slated to open in early 2022.

"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.

SEE ALSO: NC Ups Efforts To Reach Marginalized Communities In Vaccine Push

The announcement comes as state public health officials are aiming to bridge the existing healthcare gap in historically marginalized communities by prioritizing vaccine distribution to Black and Hispanic communities throughout North Carolina.

"The health care coverage gap in North Carolina has left many without access to a doctor," Cooper said earlier this morning. "Add to that longstanding, systemic inequities in our healthcare system, and you can get mistrust of this vaccine as well as lack of preventative care."

The state is making a conscious effort to track data, include vaccine providers in communities of color in every county and telling vaccine providers that the state expects them to concentrate distribution efforts on underserved communities, Cooper said.

Jordan's donation, made through the Novant Health Foundation, mirrors a previous gift by the NBA legend to open two family clinics in vulnerable communities in Charlotte in 2019. Those clinics have seen more than 4,500 patients and administered nearly 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines, Novant Health said. To date, Jordan has donated $17 million through the foundation, it said.

"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."

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