More than 150 community leaders, elected officials and area residents joined Novant Health team members, Michael Jordan and his family on Freedom Drive today to officially open a new medical clinic in west Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic will provide vital access to primary and preventive care to individuals in the community, including those who are uninsured or underinsured. The clinic will also offer additional comprehensive care, including behavioral health and social support services, to more directly address health equity gaps and social determinants of health in our communities.
“At Novant Health, we are deeply committed to caring for patients beyond our walls,” said Carl Armato, CEO and president of Novant Health. “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.”
In 2017, Jordan made a $7 million gift, which went toward purchasing the land, building the 6,800 square foot clinic and equipping the entire facility, which includes 12 patient exam rooms, an X-ray room and space for physical therapy. Novant Health will operate the clinic, utilizing a unique integrated services model designed to identify, treat and support social determinants of health, including embedding a full-time licensed clinical social worker to connect patients with resources that range from bus passes to social support services.
“When I heard Novant Health’s plan to bring not only primary care, but other needed services to the community, there was no doubt in my mind that this is where I wanted to help make an impact,” said Michael Jordan. “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.”
The clinic aims to improve access to care in an area identified as having high priority public health concerns by a Health Needs Assessment conducted by the Mecklenburg County Health Department, in partnership with Novant Health. This assessment was conducted not long after Charlotte was ranked 50th out of 50 in economic mobility for children born into poverty by a 2014 Harvard University/UC Berkeley study.
Similar clinics with integrated care models saw significant reductions in emergency room visits, hospitalizations and total cost of care when compared to traditional models. In fact, the Movement Family Wellness Center powered by Novant Health, located in the same ZIP code, also utilizes an integrated care model with an embedded social worker. In the first six months of operation, 499 patients (98% of the total patients seen) were referred for social work services, ranging from assistance in obtaining medication coverage to Novant Health charity care navigation to food pharmacy assistance.
The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic has been carefully designed with input from the community throughout the planning and development process. The Novant Health team met with leaders of the community and held forums with community members on a monthly basis, receiving feedback on everything from the aesthetic features of the clinics to the services they felt they needed most. Team members working in the clinics were recruited from surrounding neighborhoods.
“The community is embedded into the very foundation of these clinics,” Armato added. “I know how important that is both to Michael Jordan and to Novant Health. We want the community to know that we’re not just here when they’re in crisis or in need of urgent care. We’re here for the long haul.”
The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Patients can schedule appointments online, including same-day, or learn more about providers and available services online at nhmichaeljordanclinic.org. Walk-in visits are also available. Phone: 980-302-9405. Address: 3149 Freedom Drive, Charlotte, NC 28208.
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