Michael Jordan has donated $7 million to open a clinic that will guarantee healthcare for uninsured people in his hometown of Charlotte.
The sports legend got emotional as he gave a speech at the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday (October 17), even shedding a tear at one point.
Two years ago, Jordan donated $7 million to get the clinic funded, with the donation intended to benefit financially struggling residents of the Charlotte area and to improve the community’s access to medical care.
The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic is open for business!📍3149 Freedom Drive Charlotte, NC 28202 pic.twitter.com/gbS2AzZInA
— Novant Health (@NovantHealth) October 17, 2019
As per the MailOnline, Jordan said being able to give back to a community that has ‘supported [him] over the years’ was ‘very emotional’ for him.
The owner of the Charlotte Hornets, 56, told the crowd his extended family deserved as much credit as he does for the health clinic:
It’s from the heart. I stand here before you as a proud parent, son, obviously a member of this community.
You see my name, but yet you see a lot of people behind me and the commitment, especially from my mum, about caring for other people and being a part of a community that matters.
The former professional basketball player has strong ties to the city; he is a long-time resident of Charlotte and played college basketball at North Carolina before launching his Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bulls.
The health clinic will provide ‘vital access to primary and preventive care to individuals in the community’, including both uninsured and underinsured individuals, according to a press release on the centre’s website.
The clinic will also offer ‘additional comprehensive care, including behavioural health and social support services, to more directly address health equity gaps and social determinants of health in our communities’.
Carl Armato, CEO and president of Novant Health, said:
At Novant Health, we are deeply committed to caring for patients beyond our walls. This clinic will not only provide access to medical care for those who need it most, but it will connect them to resources to ensure their health extends beyond the doctor’s office.
We are so grateful for Michael Jordan’s continued partnership and generous gift, which will transform thousands of lives in the west Charlotte community.
Thanks to a generous $7 million donation from @NBA legend Michael Jordan low-income Charlotte residents of all ages now have access to get the affordable medical care they need, with or without insurance. pic.twitter.com/dpJHVwCpmU
— Novant Health (@NovantHealth) October 17, 2019
In the three weeks since it opened, the centre has already allowed more than 300 people to be seen by staff doctors, social workers and other healthcare professionals.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).