Michael Jordan opens first of 2 Charlotte medical clinics made possible by $7.2 million donation
Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan was moved to tears Thursday as he formally opened the first of two clinics funded by his family in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Charlotte Observer reported.
“This is a very emotional thing for me to be able to give back to a community that has supported me over the years,” Jordan said as he unveiled the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic. He donated $7.2 million for the two clinics.
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
The clinic will provide care to an underprivileged part of the community, including primary and preventive care for those who are uninsured or underinsured. It is also staffed with social workers, behavioral health experts, oral health practitioners, and physical therapists.
Expected to serve 35,000 children and adults over the next five years, according to the Observer, the clinic opened for business three weeks ago and has already seen 300 patients.
“I’ve gone off and made my life in Illinois and other places,” Jordan said, in reference to the prime of his career spent with the Chicago Bulls. “But I know where it all begins.”
In partnership with the Charlotte Hornets, which he owns, Jordan had already given nearly $750,000 to the Novant Health Community Care Cruiser over the years. He also donated to “literacy efforts in low-income Charlotte neighborhoods.”
“It’s not the financials but [it’s] from the heart — a passion from what this city, this state has given back to me,” Jordan said. “I can never repay what you have given to me. But this is a start.”
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