Novant Health expands access to mental health care at Michael Jordan clinic and more
Novant Health said Thursday it is teaming up with nonprofit mental health center HopeWay to expand access to mental health services to uninsured patients and underserved communities.
Through the partnership, including $150,000 in financial support from Novant Health Foundation, Hopeway is now offering mental health services at the Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinic at 3149 Freedom Drive and the Hope Community Clinic of East Charlotte at 3646 Central Ave.
The Hope Community Clinic, a free clinic, offers a range of services for uninsured patients, including counseling, medical and pediatric services. The Michael Jordan Family Clinic serves insured and uninsured patients, and offers a financial assistance program to help patients who otherwise might not be able to afford services.
And HopeWay plans to serve additional clinics in the future, according to Novant Health.
The partnership is part of a larger Novant Health initiative to increase access to mental health care in underserved communities, supported by $340,000 in funds from The Duke Endowment.
“Together, we are providing a fully integrated behavioral health care model that enables us to serve a diverse and underserved population, breakdown the stigma of mental health, and increase access to psychiatric treatment,” Hopeway director of medical services Dr. Kevin Marra said in a statement.
Helping fill a need for mental health care
Securing mental health care can be especially difficult for people without insurance, Novant Health said in a statement.
Since January 2020, 25% of patients at the emergency room at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center for behavioral health services did not have insurance, according to the hospital system.
The expansion for mental health services at both clinics will feature an integrated model of care. That means each patient will receive a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation followed by a treatment plan including collaboration with the clinic’s medical team, therapy and medication if necessary.
The importance of mental health care has been highlighted in the Charlotte area following the Sunday death by suicide of former Miss USA and Charlotte lawyer Cheslie Kryst. Kryst had been dealing with depression, which she had hidden from family and friends, her mother April Simpkins said in a statement Wednesday.
Michael Jordan clinic
The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinic on Freedom Drive opened in 2019 after Hornets owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan donated $7.2 million to the hospital system to open two community clinics.
The second Michael Jordan Family Clinic, on Statesville Road, opened a year later.
Both clinics are designed to provide primary care service for people who may not have access to a doctor otherwise. And the clinics connect patients with an on-site social worker and other resources.
“(It’s) from the heart — a passion from what this city, this state has given back to me,” Jordan said at the first clinic’s opening in 2019. “I can never repay what you have given to me. But this is a start.”
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