Vernon's Dr. Carmen Larsen is busy on many fronts

The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce has released its Top 20 Over 40 for 2020, and Castanet will be featuring all of the honourees.

Dr. Carmen Larsen is the definition of human multi-tasking.

Larsen is a family physician who who works on Vernon and Armstrong as a locum physician, operating room assist, walk-in clinic physician, site director for the Southern Medical Program, Vernon Cadet Training Centre medical officer and occasional hospitalist.

Before becoming a doctor in 2009, Larsen was a translator in China, worked in penny stocks in Vancouver, coordinated deliver of Meals on Wheels in the Vancouver/Richmond area, planned camps for vulnerable girls and was a lab technician in a medical genetics research lab.

But being a doctor of many talents was not enough for Larsen who joined Kal Lake Rotary when she moved to Vernon where she initiated the Starfish Pack program.

The program provides a backpack full of food for underprivileged children in the area to take home for the weekend.

Larsen lists that as one of her “proudest accomplishments in the Vernon community.”

“From delivery of the first 20 backpacks in 2016 to 104 packs in 11 schools as of February 2020, I am extremely proud of the difference this program makes for individual children and families,” she said. “I think we all want to make our community better and I do that partly as a doctor, but I think there is a lot of things outside of medicine that can contribute to a healthy community and I was just raised that if you can, you should.”

She is also a team manager and assistant coach in the Greater Vernon Ringette Association and sits on the board of directors for the Vernon Doctor's Hockey Tournament which donates $5,000 annually to local non-profit organizations.

“Whatever community I live in, I try to serve it,” she said.

The chamber's Top 20 Over 40 is sponsored by KPMG, the Regional District of North Okanagan, and Castanet.