Michael Jordan donates $10 million to open medical clinics in his home town

'Everyone should have access to quality health care, no matter where they live, or whether or not they have insurance,' said the basketball star

Michael Jordan is donating $10 million to launch two medical clinics in underserved communities near his home town. AP Photo

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is donating $10 million to launch two medical clinics in underserved communities near his home town in North Carolina, US.

The Novant Health clinics are set to open in early 2022 in New Hanover County along North Carolina's south-eastern coast, according to a statement from the regional healthcare system on Monday.

The gift marks one of the largest ever from the Basketball Hall of Fame athlete, news outlets reported.

Jordan previously gave $7 million to open Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinics in Charlotte in 2019 and 2020. Those clinics have since seen more than 4,500 patients and have administered about 1,000 Covid-19 vaccines, Novant Health said.

"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 home town," Jordan said. "Everyone should have access to quality health care, no matter where they live, or whether or not they have insurance."

Novant said the new clinics would bring services to “more rural and rural-adjacent communities” and to those who are uninsured or underinsured.

"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 chief executive 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."

Jordan grew up in Wilmington before going on to play at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He later played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls.

“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," he said.

In November, Jordan also donated $2 million from his fee for Netflix series The Last Dance to the non-profit Feeding America.