Carson man gets national honor

Carson City resident Ken Sorensen has been recognized as the "Outstanding Volunteer" in Nevada for his work with Senior Nevada Advocates on Guard, or SNAG.

The award was given by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who recognized 13 volunteers from 13 different states for the work with the program.

Sorensen was singled out for his straightforward, undemanding and independent style. He is a retired lieutenant of detectives at the Menlo Park Police Department in California.

In addition to handling complicated complaints, Sorensen is the liaison for SNAG in Northern Nevada. He arranges for SNAG speaking engagements at local community service organizations and has taken upon himself to prepare his own handout material and visual aids to supplement information provided.

"When my boss called me from Las Vegas (to tell me about the award) I almost fell out of my chair," Sorensen said, who started with the program three years ago.

"I feel good about getting the award. "We continue to try to educate people about their prescriptions and how to check them when they get home. They're the only ones who can do that."

The purpose of SNAG is to recruit and train retired professional seniors to be able to spot and report suspicious activity in the delivery of their health care and or discrepancies in their Medicare Summary Notices.

It also assists Nevada Medicare beneficiaries in understanding the delivery of their health care through the Medicare system, and if needed, through staff and volunteers for one-on-one counseling and complaint resolution.

The SNAG program is funded by the federal government and administered by the state. There are only four paid positions in the program. All other positions are handled by volunteers, 37 in all, throughout the state.

Sorensen is 63 years old, married to Donna, and has six children and seven grandchildren. He has been in Carson City since 1998.