Michael Jordan, emotional, while opening medical clinic for low-income families

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Michael Jordan made a stop in Charlotte Thursday, not to sign autographs or visit the Hornets, but to help open a brand new $7 million medical clinic in West Charlotte. Jordan became emotional during his remarks about why the location is such an important area for the Queen City.

“The money is not the issue to me. It's the commitment to be able to make a difference and make an impact to a community that in the future will make an impact to the City of Charlotte,” said Jordan.

The Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic is located in West Charlotte off Freedom Drive. It is just blocks away from the Camp Greene neighborhood, which right now is expanding with new apartments and construction throughout.

"For me, this is a major, major blessing for the Camp Greene neighborhood,” said Sharelle Blake.

Blake lives just down the street, two blocks from the clinic. She was among one of the first patients.

"There are a lot of people living here who are low income, they don't have health insurance. There are children here who need the immunizations to go to school and they don't have insurance and they don't have a way,” said Blake.

Now, those families have a doctor just around the corner. Novant Health leaders say that's why they chose the Freedom Drive location in West Charlotte. They pulled zip codes and found the area lacked medical services for low-income families.

"When you look at the growth in this area. in the next 3-5 years we need triple the primary care that is needed today,” said Jesse Cureton, EVP and chief consumer officer for Novant Health.

The new medical clinic may already be spurring growth across Freedom Drive. A sign is up for a new, but unrelated medical building, just across the street.

A second Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic is set to be built is East Charlotte along Statesville Ave.