Novant Health and Michael Jordan announced a $10 million gift to open two medical clinics in New Hanover County on the southeastern coast of North Carolina. The regional health care system and Jordan previously partnered to open two Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte, N.C., bringing comprehensive primary care, including behavioral health and social support services, to the area’s most vulnerable communities. Jordan’s gift will help Novant Health bring this same integrated care model to more rural and rural-adjacent communities in his hometown, offering much-needed services to those who are uninsured or underinsured. The two new clinics are slated to open in early 2022.
“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,” said Michael Jordan. “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.”
To date, the two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte have seen more than 4,500 patients, in addition to providing critical COVID-19 response. Nearly 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered from both the Freedom Drive and North End locations with plans to scale up vaccination efforts even further as supply increases.
“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” said Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health. “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 announcement comes on the heels of Novant Health finalizing its purchase of New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC), which includes a partnership with UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine. The health care system, which beat out five systems to move forward with the sale, stressed its commitment to bringing clinics and services to underserved communities as a tenant of its proposal.
“When we set out to partner with New Hanover Regional Medical Center, we made it absolutely clear that one of our top priories was to improve health outcomes in southeastern North Carolina, with access to affordable care for all,” Armato added. “With Michael’s gift, we’ll be able to more quickly, and directly, have an impact. The establishment of these two new clinics reinforces our true commitment to improving the health of the southeast region.”
The $10 million gift from Michael Jordan was made to the Novant Health Foundation, which has now received a total of $17 million in funds from Jordan dedicated to developing clinics, which are owned and operated by Novant Health.
