Women’s History Spotlight: Dr. Rhunelle Murray of LifeWorks Neurodiagnostic Center

For Women's History Month Beasley Media Group is shining a spotlight on successful and inspirational women here in our community.  I recently had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Dr. Rhunelle Murray, who is the medical director of LifeWorks Neurodiagnostic Center in Fayetteville. Dr. Murray's accomplishments are unmatched and her story is one that I absolutely had to share with you.

Rhunelle was born and raised in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small island in the Eastern Caribbean. Growing up, Rhunelle knew from an early age that her life's calling was to serve and help others, most notably in the field of medicine.

"As corny as it might sound, that was something that I always wanted to do," Rhunelle said as she recounted her childhood aspirations. "I remember being 5 years old and I was watching a program with my dad on the television. There was an ambulance and people were running into an emergency room. And I looked at him and I said, 'That's what I want to do!'"

Rhunelle also noted the advice that her father gave her when her passion became clear. "My dad always told us growing up, 'There's always room at the top. Never stay at the bottom, always climb to the top.'"

And climb she did. After taking time to travel upon graduating high school, Rhunelle set out to follow her dream. She performed her medical school training at St. George's University in Grenada. From there she went to the U.K. for a year to continue her training before graduating in 2003. Rhunelle then traveled to New Jersey for an internship at Wilzig Hospital, followed by a neurology residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Manhasset New York. After her residency was complete Dr. Murray completed a 2-year fellowship in epilepsy management and neurophysiology at the University of Virginia.

Eventually, Dr. Murray's career path brought her to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she worked at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for about three years. It was around this time that Rhunelle decided to shift her focus and veer into a more administrative role. Dr. Murray then completed her master's degree in Health Administration.

This decision proved invaluable for her career, as she was then able to bridge the gap of communication between clinicians and administrators. Dr. Murray then became a consultant, providing neurology services at facilities in many states including South Carolina, Virginia, Maine, and others.

With a wealth of experience and education in her impressive resume, Dr. Murray then aspired to open her own Neurology Service Center. Her dream came true in the fall of 2023 with the opening of LifeWorks Neurodiagnostic Center, found in the heart of Fayetteville.

In our conversation, Dr. Murray was adamant about her vision of making top-notch medical care easy to find in Cumberland County and beyond. "It is a dream, and a passion to bring a high level of care to the people of Fayetteville and surrounding areas," she said, "it's my goal to provide expert neurological care that is accessible."

Dr. Murray was also quick to note what sets LifeWorks apart from other neurological service centers. "We also offer care that is not found anywhere else. There is always an excess of the common things. My goal is to provide the uncommon things."

Make no mistake, a neurologist of Rhunelle's level of education and expertise working in smaller communities outside of tertiary centers or college universities is extremely uncommon. And that's just how she likes it.

"If you want something done, you do it yourself...my goal is to bring the quality of care you'd find at a university level, here in Fayetteville."

Dr. Murray's fearless leadership and dedication to the people of Fayetteville has earned her the respect of many in the community. What truly sets LifeWorks apart is Dr. Murray's belief in forming authentic bonds and relationships with patients. "One of the things I live by is to educate my patients...I don't just say, 'Here's your medication, take this medication.' I talk with my patients, and I ask them, 'What would YOU like to do?'"

Another principle Dr. Murray believes in is 100% transparency with her patients. "I'm not the one taking the medication. I may have the knowledge, but it does me no good to keep the knowledge and not convey that to the patient."

As we concluded our enlightening conversation, I asked Dr. Murray what advice she would impart to anyone pursuing a career in the unpredictable and highly volatile field of medicine. Her response was absolutely perfect:

"Do what you do with passion, do it with compassion, and give everyone the respect they deserve. When people see that you care, they're willing to follow you to the ends of the earth. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Aside from her endless medical acumen and technical know-how, Dr. Rhunelle Murray also possesses an unshakeable work ethic along with a desire for unparalleled service toward those she cares for. That's what makes Dr. Murray a pillar of our community that we are proud to showcase this Women's History Month.

Bust out the flip-flops and obscenely loud Hawaiian shirts; spring break is nearly here! With so many people traveling for the 2024 spring break season, here are a few helpful travel tips so you can enjoy your vacation with as little stress as possible as you go through TSA.

According to the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), spring break travel will be at its heaviest between March 7 and March 25, which means two and a half weeks of busy airports and long wait times at travel screenings.

According to TSA administrator David Pekoske, more people are expected to travel for spring break this year than there were this time last year.

"So far in 2024, travel volumes are trending at nearly 6% above the same period in 2023," said Peksoke. "We always work closely with our airline and airport partners to plan for and meet the increasing travel demand while doing our best to maintain our wait times of 30 minutes or less in standard lanes and 10 minutes or less in TSA PreCheck lanes."

We all know that the entire process of traveling can be daunting even on slow days. But spring break always causes things to ramp up exponentially at the airport. Luckily there are a few tips and tricks you can use to help speed up the process so you can start sipping on Mai Tais as soon as possible.

According to these tips from TSA, here is what you should do if you want the best success while traveling for the spring break season:

Perhaps the most crucial step to getting through the TSA line quickly starts before you even arrive at the airport. A well-packed suitcase will help ensure a quick and relatively painless screening experience, especially if you know what they look for. It's especially critical to remember the 3-1-1 rule when packing liquids.

TSA PreCheck is a gamechanger for frequent travelers, and it will especially come in handy when dealing with long spring break lines. PreCheck members can enjoy 10-minutes-or-less wait times, so you and your family can be sure to make it to your gate with plenty of time to spare.

Click here to enroll in TSA PreCheck today.

Be sure to have your boarding pass and valid ID ready when you arrive at the checkpoint. This also applies to passports if you're traveling abroad for spring break. The sooner you're able to show all required documentation, the quicker you can get through the line. And those behind you will appreciate your haste as well!

It's normally recommended that airline passengers should arrive around two hours before their flight takes off to allow enough time to get through the TSA screenings. But given how packed the airports will be for spring break, you'd best be served arriving much earlier than that.

Arriving four or five hours before takeoff may be obnoxious, but you know what's more obnoxious? Constantly checking your watch and doing mental math for how quick each person ahead of you in line needs to move so you can make your gate in time.

This step is especially helpful for those with disabilities or medical conditions that make flying more challenging. TSA Cares offers more information to help those with disabilities enjoy an easy, stress-free flight experience. It's recommended you call at least 72 hours ahead of time so any special accommodations can be made.

Click here for more info.