EASLEY — The South Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (SCAFP) has honored Lori R. Carnsew, MD of Easley, SC as the 2025-2026 SCAFP Family Physician of the Year.
This prestigious award honors and celebrates an outstanding South Carolina family physician who provides compassionate and comprehensive care to their patients while serving as a role model within their communities and the medical profession. The award was presented to Dr. Carnsew at the recent SCAFP Summer Break Away & Annual Assembly held June 5-8 at the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head Island, SC.
Dr. Carnsew is the Physician/Owner of Verity Primary Medicine & Lifestyle, using the Direct Primary Care (DPC) model. As a board-certified Lifestyle Medicine physician, she integrates education on evidence-based lifestyle interventions into her practice. She has also authored a children’s book entitled — How to Live Like A Super Hero — that will launch June 12.
Since opening her practice, she has led the ‘Walk With A Doc’ program, reinforcing her strong commitment to community health.
Dr. Carnsew’s leadership also includes professional organizations. A member of the SCAFP since 2000, Carnsew has served the SC Academy of Family Physicians as a Board member, member of the Legislation & Governmental Affairs Committee, chair of the Board and President. She has formerly served in various roles in her local hospital, Baptist Easley Hospital (now Prisma Health Baptist Easley).
Dr. Carnsew has served for many years as a preceptor for MUSC, mentoring medical students during their clinical rotations.
Dr. Carnsew has a distinguished background in both medicine and engineering, combining a strong technical foundation with medical expertise. She has a Doctor of Medicine degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine, pre-medical studies at Eastern Michigan University, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University. She completed her Family Medicine Residency at the Greenville Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program (now Prisma Health) in Greenville, SC.
Throughout her academic journey from engineering to medicine, Dr. Carnsew developed a unique skill set that strengthens her ability to approach healthcare with precision and analytical rigor. Her commitment to advancing patient outcomes is evident in her interdisciplinary background and dedication to excellence.
The South Carolina Academy, with a membership of over 2200, is a constituent chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians which is composed of over 128,300 family physicians and medical students nationwide. The AAFP is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.