Basketball legend Michael Jordan is donating $10 million to launch two medical clinics in underserved communities near his hometown in North Carolina.
The Novant Health clinics are set to open in early 2022 in New Hanover County along North Carolina’s southeastern coast, according to a statement from the system. Jordan previously gave $7 million to open Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte in 2019 and 2020. Those clinics have since seen more than 4,500 patients and have administered nearly 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines, Novant said.
“Everyone should have access to quality healthcare, no matter where they live, or whether or not they have insurance,” Jordan said in a statement.
Novant said the new clinics would bring services to “more rural and rural-adjacent communities” and to those who are uninsured or underinsured.
“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,” Novant CEO Carl Armato said.
Jordan grew up in Wilmington before going on to play at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He later played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls.
“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,” he said.
