The MURDOCK Study aims to enroll 50,000 area residents for a long-term health study. (MURDOCK Study/N.C. Research Campus)

By JENNIFER MONTAGUE
DavidsonNews.net

KANNAPOLIS – So you think scientists and doctors are the only ones who make the exciting advances in medicine and disease treatments? Not so—you can play an important role, too, as subjects of the studies and trials that are a major component of medical research.

At the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, researchers are conducting one of the largest general population health studies in recent memory. The MURDOCK Study Community Registry, is a joint venture with David H. Murdock, who provided the name and the funding, and the Duke Translational Medicine Institute. MURDOCK is an abbreviation for Measurement to Understand the Reclassification of Disease of Cabarrus/Kannapolis. Its goal is to create a bank of medical information and tissue samples from 50,000 participants in this region. Researchers can then use this information to gain a better understanding of many different kinds of diseases. Read the full story

HUNTERSVILLE – Carolinas Healthcare System on Monday, April 16, opened a new free-standing emergency room and healthcare pavilion on U.S. 21/Statesville Road in Huntersville, adding to citizens’ choices for urgent care in the area. The $12.4 million facility, is at 16455 Statesville Road, south of Sam Furr Road. It includes a 24-hour emergency department, advanced diagnostic imaging (CT scans, ultrasounds and X-rays), a dedicated medical lab, and a staff of experienced physicians. Read the full story

MOORESVILLE – In honor of National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Lake Norman Regional Medical Center will host its annual free skin cancer screening on Wednesday, May 2, in Mooresville.

Screenings are by appointment only, from 6-8 p.m., Lake Norman Medical Pavilion, 131 Medical Park Road, Suite 101, off I-77 Exit 33, Mooresville.

Physicians will perform the screenings by appointment only. The screening is a visual exam and may include a spot check or full body scan to determine any areas of concern.

Registration required: 704-660-4859 or mitzie.mccurdy@hma.com

Richard Krumdieck

Lake Norman Regional Medical Center
Lake Norman Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce that Dr. Richard Krumdieck, a Davidson resident with Lake Norman Oncology, has been named one of Charlotte’s Best Doctors by the Charlotte Business Journal for the second year in a row.

The “Best Doctors” special report is a published resource in the Charlotte Business Journal recognizing local area physicians.

Read the full story

Lake Norman Regional Medical Center
It’s not always easy to talk about, yet Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, affects more than 30 million people in the United States. Uncomfortable and often painful disorder, many of those who have, or may have, IBS, often suffer in silence and remain untreated. Read the full story

By MAC HERRING

Ben Franklin said that the only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes. National Healthcare Decisions Day is Monday, April 16. This national effort encourages all American adults to complete advance directives, and to discuss them annually with their families when they are not in a crisis. Therefore, when an emergency arises, the family members are aware of and more prepared to act on their loved one’s wishes. Read the full story

MOORESVILLE – Lake Norman Regional Medical Center hosts a Diabetes Support Group that meets on the fourth Monday, unless otherwise noted, of every month from noon to 1 p.m. in the Burlington Room at the Charles Mack Citizens Center in Mooresville. The next Diabetes Support Group will meet Monday, April 23rd. Read the full story

A new website will help you use carseats properly. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 1 through 12 years old. Based on NHTSA crash data in 2010, on average, almost 2 children (age 12 and younger in a passenger vehicle) were killed and 325 children were injured each day. This fatality rate could be reduced by half if the correct child safety seats were always used.

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A triathlete crosses the line in a Lake Norman Triathlon. (File photo)

I know even the word triathlon can be intimidating to people who have never tried it. But in reality, triathlon is a great sport for all levels – beginners included!

Over the years, triathlon has become synonymous with healthy lifestyle and there are a lot of good reasons why. First of all, preparing for a triathlon involves cross training, which builds a balanced physique and leads to fewer over-training injuries than training for one sport alone. Training for a triathlon also lets spend your summers like you did when you were a kid; swimming, biking and running with your friends. What could be better for your well being? Read the full story

The Town of Davidson website has added its first blog – titled “Healthy Davidson.” Davidson Healthy Living and Wellness Supervisor Leslie Willis will be posting to the blog on “opportunities for healthy living around town and will encourage residents to get up, get moving and get involved in the community,” the town said in an announcement this week. Read the full story