Michael Jordan is giving back in a big way! It has been announced that the Hornets owner is donating $7 million to open health clinics in Charlotte, North Carolina. The generous donation will fund two Novant Michael Jordan Family Clinics in the most at-risk and under-served communities in Charlotte.
The clinics will provide vital access to primary and preventive care to individuals in the community who do not have proper health care. The clinics will provide quality health-care, including behavioral health, physical therapy, social work, oral health, and family planning. According to WFAE, Dr. Michael Hoben with Novant Health said they do not have convenient access to health care on a regular basis.
“We’ve always provided care for the patients that live in this community. But it’s been fragmented and they haven’t been able to get comprehensive primary care services where they live,” Hoben said. “They have had to come to emergency rooms and urgent cares in other places.”
With over 100,000 people in Charlotte who don’t have health insurance, families living in under-served areas face problems when trying to find affordable, quality healthcare. The opening of the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics will create access to high-quality health care to poverty stricken areas.
“As a longtime partner, we are thrilled that Michael Jordan continues to support Novant Health and our mission to improve the health of our communities, one person at a time,” President and CEO of Novant Health said. “This gift will transform the lives of thousands of families and children living in poverty-stricken communities. We are thankful to Michael for his generosity. The gift will remove barriers to high-quality health care in some of the most vulnerable communities.”
Within five years of its opening, the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics are projected to provide care for an estimated 35,000 children and adults who do not have access to primary and preventive care. According to a press release, the clinic will also reduce the use of the emergency room for non-urgent medical needs. The clinics have the potential to cut emergency room utilization by 68% and decrease hospitalization by 37% for the residents of these at-risk neighborhoods. Doing so, the benefits resulting from the clinics will include improved patient care, community wellness, and even a reduction in the total cost of medical care.
“I am proud to partner with Novant Health to bring critical health services to underserved areas of Charlotte and the thousands of North Carolinians with limited access to health care,” Jordan said in a press release. “Through my years of working with Novant Health, I have been impressed with their approach and their commitment to the community. It is my hope that these clinics will help provide a brighter and healthier future for the children and families they serve.”
The clinics are expected to open in late 2020.
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