Michael Jordan—yes, that Michael Jordan—may one day be known more for his open hands than for his half-court throw. In 2017, Jordon donated $7 million to open two low-income healthcare clinics in underserved parts of Charlotte, North Carolina. And he’s just done it again.
This time, Jordan’s donation of $10 million will open two new medical clinics in partnership with Novant Health in Wilmington, North Carolina. His own hometown.
“Everyone should have access to quality health care, no matter where they live, or whether or not they have insurance.” Jordan said in a statement. “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.”
Wilmington, which has a population just shy of 120,000, has a poverty rate of 23 percent. It also has only one physician per 1,100 people, which is critically low. Healthcare spending in the city is over $7,000 per capita per year.
“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,” Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health, said in a statement.
“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.”
So far, the two clinics opened from Jordan’s first donation have seen more than 4,500 patients, and most crucially, have administered nearly 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines in Charlotte’s most vulnerable populations.
Read More:
https://datausa.io/profile/geo/wilmington-nc#health
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/15/us/michael-jordan-clinics-donation-trnd/index.html
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