Hornets founder George Shinn had life-saving reason for $7.5 million gift to Atrium
Charlotte Hornets founder George Shinn has donated $7.5 million to stroke care at Atrium Health, which will name its stroke center at Carolinas Medical Center in his honor, hospital officials said Thursday.
In a statement, the NBA team’s former longtime majority owner said he was giving back to the city to which he owes much success.
“The people of Charlotte and my partners lifted me up many years ago by supporting my dream to bring major league sports to this wonderful city,” Shinn said. “God has blessed me more than I could ever have hoped for.
“My life is now spent giving back in ways that serve others,” he said. “I appreciated Charlotte’s support then and I appreciate it today.”
Shinn suffered a stroke at age 48 and was treated at the hospital, according to Thursday’s announcement.
“I am thankful that all those years ago, the team here at Carolinas Medical Center was able to save my life,” Shinn said.
The George Shinn Comprehensive Stroke Center “will pave the way for all patients to access the highest quality care and have the absolute best chance of surviving and recovering from stroke,” Gene Woods, Atrium Health president and CEO, said in a statement announcing Shinn’s donation.
“Stroke is a leading cause of death in our country, especially in African American men,” he said. “It is my prayer that with this center, we see those statistics change.”
The Atrium Health center annually treats about 4,000 patients who’ve suffered strokes, hospital officials said.
Shinn’s donation also will create the George Shinn Endowed Chair in Neurovascular Medicine, Atrium Health officials said.
The faculty position will “promote our program’s presence, expertise, and research across the country,” Dr. Andrew Asimos, medical director of the Carolinas Stroke Network at Atrium Health, said in the hospital’s announcement.
Thanks to Shinn’s donation, the stroke network team plans to recruit more researchers, clinical scientists, rehab specialists, population health managers and data scientists, according to the announcement.
This story was originally published October 29, 2020 at 6:32 PM.