Novant Health’s Kim Henderson Celebrates Big Win for Health Equity in Charlotte.

Kim Henderson, Novant Health’s system chief of staff and senior vice president of corporate health, took the stage at Charlotte’s Knight Theater with her dance partner, Maurice Mouzon Jr., as the culmination of months of work — not just in rehearsing for their show-stopping performance, but also in raising funds to support the Charlotte Ballet and the Health Equity Fund at Novant Health.

It was a night to remember, and they had the time of their lives.

“This entire experience has been an incredible honor. It gave me the opportunity to marry two passions — supporting the arts in Charlotte and ensuring greater access to quality healthcare across our communities — and we had a lot of fun in the process,” Kim said. “I’m grateful to Maurice, for his commitment, kindness and patience, and to everyone who supported us. Your generosity makes remarkable care possible.”

Kim and Maurice raised more than $466,000 of the $1.28 million raised from all the event’s participants, and won the People’s Choice Award for raising the most money. Half of those funds will support the Charlotte Ballet and their work increasing access to the arts in our community. The other half will advance Novant Health’s longstanding commitment to health equity by working to ensure every member of our community has access to remarkable care.

Our generous donors and sponsors made this success possible, and our team at Novant Health Foundation would like to extend our most heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the campaign. In addition to those who made individual contributions, we were honored to partner with the following corporate sponsors:

Kim was inspired to compete in Charlotte Ballet’s Dancing with the Stars Gala because of the opportunity it presented to push Novant Health’s health equity work forward. These efforts were championed by the late Ophelia Garmon-Brown, MD, a woman of many gifts and talents but, most of all, a steadfast caregiver, champion and advocate for the health and well-being of the underserved members of the Charlotte community.

“Ophelia understood how a lack of access to quality healthcare disproportionately impacts communities of color, and she worked tirelessly throughout her life to change this reality. There is still much work to be done, but I am proud to have dedicated this campaign to such an incredible effort, one that has the potential to transform lives across our communities,” Kim said.

With nearly $250,000 raised for the Health Equity Fund, Novant Health leaders are now working hard to determine how and where to invest these funds to ensure maximum impact on health equity across our community. We will continue to share stories of impact as this important work gets underway.

Last but certainly not least, none of this impact would have been possible without Kim’s partnership with Maurice, a dancer with the Charlotte Ballet with his own incredible story. He worked with Kim over the course of many weeks, not just to help her learn the moves and prepare for competition, but also to raise funds to support a cause and community he cares for deeply.

“This competition gave me an opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself, and it supported a cause I can relate to,” Maurice said. “I come from a single-parent household, and I know the importance of equity and making sure everyone has access to what they need to care for their families. Now, I feel like I helped make a difference.”

Thank you again to everyone who made this competition and fundraising initiative a resounding success. Your contributions will increase health equity across all those we serve. And congratulations to Kim and Maurice on a successful campaign and for winning the 2022 People’s Choice Award.

To learn more about the impact of the Health Equity Fund, read the remarkable stories below.

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A generous donation from Michael Jordan comes to life on Charlotte’s west side

In 2017, Michael Jordan donated $7 million to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation to help build two health care clinics to serve Charlotte’s most at-risk and in-need communities. Last month, the first of these clinics opened to the public on Charlotte’s west side.

Community Cruiser Story ft. Zeleka Benton

Zeleka Benton, manager of community services in the greater Charlotte market, oversees the Novant Health Community Care Cruiser, a 40-foot mobile unit that provides on-site clinical care and support services to uninsured and underinsured patients.