There’s more to the role of Pennsylvania coroners than what recent report offered | Opinion

By Scott Lynn, Jeremy Reese and Scott Grim

On behalf of 64 coroners and roughly 288 deputy coroners throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which are represented by the Pennsylvania State Coroners Affiliation, we the undersigned members of the PSCA government board really feel compelled to offer a written response to the report issued by the Middle for Rural Pennsylvania, and related media protection offered by Highlight PA.

Coroners and deputy coroners throughout Pennsylvania reply every single day to sudden deaths that happen within the worst of circumstances. Opposite to a remark seemingly made in useless by a coroner cited within the middle’s report, they do greater than decide up our bodies and steer enterprise to funeral properties. A coroner’s demise investigation is rather more than simply announcing an individual deceased and finishing a demise certificates.

Whereas the coroner’s affiliation agrees with sure findings and themes recognized within the research, the affiliation additionally identifies a number of considerations with the Middle for Rural Pennsylvania research. Dr. Christina VandePol, whereas a revered doctor, was solely in her first time period as a coroner in an city county and lacked expertise and visibility as to the operations and workflows of coroners throughout Pennsylvania, particularly these in rural Pennsylvania.

Whereas each coroner’s workplace in Pennsylvania had a chance to take part within the research, no different coroners have been requested to serve on the analysis panel as collaborators and contributors. Whereas the research accommodates goal, qualitative and quantitative themes, the analysis panel lacked correct experience and information to offer subjective perception into sure parts of the report.

The affiliation has a working committee devoted to standardization of practices, and plenty of coroners evaluate and share finest practices on a routine foundation, studying from different’s successes and alternatives for enchancment.

The affiliation can also be actively pursuing Laws by means of SB 1037 to boost the tutorial choices and processes for coroners and deputy coroners. That features elevated persevering with training hours; certification for all coroners and deputy coroners, no matter county dimension; and nationally accredited certification for all coroners.

This invoice has handed the Senate and is within the Home of Representatives for assessment. The affiliation has prolonged gives to collaborate on this course of with members of the Pennsylvania Division of Well being along with these listed within the proposed laws as collaborators by way of a brand new Coroner’s Training Board. Pennsylvania additionally has one of many highest numbers of coroners and deputies licensed by means of the American Board of Medicolegal Demise Investigators.

A transition from Pennsylvania being a coroner-based demise investigation state to a medical examiner-based state would pose important and hostile impacts to each household of the deceased and the taxpayers of Pennsylvania.

The development of regional forensic post-mortem suites could be within the tens of millions of {dollars}. Salaries and advantages for the required variety of health workers, forensic investigators, toxicologists and administrative help employees could be a recurring and rising expense, particularly given the nationwide scarcity of forensic pathologists.

Ready occasions for households and first responders on scene and residential would enhance. There will even seemingly be a rise in backlogs for remaining pathology and toxicology studies, thus delaying certification of deaths wanted for households to finish life insurance coverage claims and so forth.

The coroners and deputy coroners throughout Pennsylvania are dedicated to enhancing our instructional packages, coaching, and skills to offer the most effective demise investigation for every particular person together with their households throughout Pennsylvania. We’ll proceed to take action with the identical accuracy, compassion, and respect that we’ve completed for many years, and ask to be proven the identical respect as we offer to these we serve.

The Govt Board the Pennsylvania State Coroners Affiliation is President Scott Lynn (Montour County), Vice President Jeremy Reese (Columbia County) and Govt Director Scott M. Grim (Lehigh County).