Having been raised in North Carolina as part of a military family, Dr. Lawrence Carter appreciated early on the diversity of our population. He realized three distinct cultures in his State: Coastal flatlands, the Piedmont, and the Mountains, each with their own dialects and style of foods. He did not realize until medical school that besides living in the Bible Belt we were also living in the kidney stone, heart attack, stroke, and diabetic/metabolic syndrome belt. While paying back his time in the United States Air Force, Dr. Carter discovered his passion for empowering his patients instead of just enabling them. He joined the ACP, AMA, ADA, Southeastern Lipid Association, National Lipid Association, COSEHC and Southern Medical Association. He has learned from the experiences of experts on how to apply strategies in taking great care of his patients here in his home town of Hickory. This entails educating his patients about healthy diets and activities and helping them develop a personalized wellness plan. While serving on the board of Catawba County Health Partners,

Dr. Carter helped develop the “Eat Smart, Move More” campaign to encourage more activity in his community. He also spearheaded a nationally recognized program partnering local farmer’s markets with the Health Department to provide access to healthy food choices for those with limited resources. Dr. Carter enjoys being a part of the SMA because it provides him the opportunity to collaborate with multidisciplinary professionals for the purpose of improving healthcare. On the weekends he coaches youth soccer at the local YMCA and enjoys hiking the beautiful Carolina mountains with his love Krystal, her son Liam, and man’s best friend Jersey.