NBA legend and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan has donated $7 million to open a clinic which guarantees health care for those who have little to no insurance.
According to CNN , the retired athlete appeared in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday for the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic to the public.
Two years ago, Jordan pledged $7 million to Novant Health to go towards building the state-of-the-art facility.
Part of that donation has also gone towards a second medical facility which hasn’t opened yet.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Jordan, 56, said being able to give back to a community which has “supported [him] over the years” has been a “very emotional” experience for him.
During his heartfelt speech, Jordan shed a few tears and told the crowd his extended family deserves equal credit for the health clinic.
As he explained:
“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.”
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“The money is not an issue for me,” he continued, “it’s the commitment to be able to make a difference and make an impact.”
The 6,800-square-foot clinic will offer typical primary and preventative care to its patients, as well as behavioral health and social support services.
The brand new facility features 12 exam rooms, an X-ray room and a physical therapy space. There will also be a full-time social worker on staff to provide patients with emotional support services.
The clinic is located in Charlotte’s west side which has proven to be in serious need of quality health care.
In his official statement , Jordan said, “I feel very fortunate to be able to give back in this way, because I believe that your ZIP code or neighborhood should not determine the quality of your health care – or whether or not you can even get care at all.”
For Charlotte residents, this brand new medical facility is giving them a chance to get the care they need, regardless of insurance.
“It’s just so great to have when you don’t have insurance and you don’t know what to do,” new clinic patient Sharelle Blake told CBS News . “So this is a huge blessing for the Camp Green neighborhood.”
