WILMINGTON — Three years after opening its doors, the specialized medical hub at New Hanover Regional Medical Center has a new name and a $10 million boost.
On Jan. 31, Novant Health officially dedicated the Deloris P. Jordan Neurosciences Institute, rebranding what was previously known as the Novant Health Neurosciences Institute. The name change follows a $10-million gift from Wilmington native Michael Jordan — bringing his total contributions to Novant Health to $27 million. The $10-million given to the institute was in honor of his mother’s legacy of health advocacy.
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While the basketball icon was unable to attend due to winter weather, the focus remained on Deloris Jordan. Members of the Jordan family attended the dedication, describing Deloris as a persistent leader who inspired her children to find a purpose bigger than themselves.
“From a young age, my mom would always say: ‘’I can’t’ or ‘can’t’ is not in the dictionary, and if you find one in there, tear it out.’ She has lived that,” daughter Roslyn Jordan said.
Neurosciences Medical Director Dr. Jeff Beecher noted in three years since the institute opened, it has saved over a thousand lives from strokes, treating patients faster than 95% of the country. He emphasized before the facility’s operations, patients suffering from brain aneurysms had to be transferred two hours away. Today, the center uses robotics and fluorescence-guided surgery to treat complex cancers and spinal issues.
Regarding the $10-million donation, Beecher said the gift catapults the institution to the forefront of neurosurgery.
The center is expanding, too, with the neurocritical care unit expected to nearly double in size and bringing new treatment technologies and research initiatives to the region.
Deloris Jordan thanked family, friends, and longtime partners for their support, reflecting on decades of community, global health, and education work driven by a belief that access to care and opportunity should extend across borders. She emphasized prevention, research, and collaboration as central to her vision for the institute’s future.
“We do have goals in place and things that we want to achieve,” she said. “More than anything, it’s about research, prevention and reaching out across the globe.”
The event was also a springboard to announce a new partnership between Novant Health and the Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre in Nairobi, an organization founded by Deloris Jordan that provides specialized healthcare services and gender-based violence recovery support. Her work in Africa began nearly 20 years ago, evolving from locating medical equipment for doctors to developing a multi-building medical campus.
Novant Health CEO Carl Armato stated the partnership will include providing resources, continuing education, and medical outreach trips to empower local caregivers in Kenya.
“We at Novant Health are committed to delivering world-class care everywhere, to every person and every zip code,” Armato said. “It’s not only world-class care — it’s compassionate, transformative care that helps people live healthy lives.”
Armato ended the dedication by naming Jordan a Global Health Ambassador and presenting her with a fused glass bowl, handcrafted by local artist Elena Wright. Jordan was also credited with a permanent “Global Health Ambassador” recognition area near the building entrance, curated to showcase her accomplishments and inspire future patients, doctors, and staff members.
The Jordan family has already funded two family medical clinics designed to bridge the gap in healthcare for the un- and under-insured. The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic – Greenfield opened in 2024 and served nearly 1,800 patients in its first nine months. Its sister location, the East Wilmington Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic on North 30th Street, began welcoming patients in early 2025, providing integrated primary and behavioral health services to the Creekwood South community.
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