Nathaniel ShudaThe Columbus Dispatch
When four of its five forensic pathologists resigned in January, the Franklin County Coroner's Office had to figure out how to handle an already overwhelmed system while trying to fill positions during a nationwide shortage.
The office was already down one pathologist from a full staff of six, and it was taking officials anywhere from four to six months to complete autopsy reports, leaving families without information about how their loved ones died. The added pressure of trying to find new staff, with only about 500 pathologists nationwide, presented a daunting task.
"One whole section of our agency experienced a shortage in a short amount of time, so what I did was start working on temporary staffing to focus on 2021 reports," Franklin County Coroner Anahi Ortiz said. She got approval from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners to hire temporary pathologists and outsourced nearly 6% of Franklin County autopsies to Montgomery County, as well as the Hamilton County Coroner's Office in Cincinnati.
Autopsies in Ohio: Amid forensic pathologist shortage, how one county became a main provider of autopsies in Ohio
Autopsies in Ohio:What you need to know about coroners, forensic pathologists and autopsies in Ohio
At the time, Ortiz said she didn't blame the employees for leaving, and contended that their departures would have "little disruption or impact" on completing autopsies and returning loved ones to their families for funeral arrangements.
Yet significant delays occurred. For example, Montgomery County performed the autopsy of a 17-year-old who was shot in the head in April 2021 on the city's Far West Side and died in October 2021, but Columbus police didn't get the results officially certifying the death as a homicide until February 2022. Among other things, the delay caused the city to go back and change its record homicide count for 2021 to 205.
'That's a sad number': Columbus surpasses 100 homicides two months later than record 2021
But after commissioners approved Ortiz spending more than $3.2 million in taxpayer money on outside coroner services for 2022 — including a $500,000 contract on Sept. 6 — Ortiz now says her office is back on track. Autopsy reports in Franklin County are now being completed in eight to 10 weeks, with some being done in as little as five to six weeks, she said.
"We are doing an excellent job on that," Ortiz said.
Franklin County agreed to spend $3.2 million on outside coroner services in 2022
A review by The Dispatch shows this breakdown on the more than $3.2 million Franklin County agreed to spend on outside coroner services in 2022:
- A $720,000 contract with Forensic Pathology Services LLC, a Las Vegas-based forensic services consulting company, for temporary pathologists to perform autopsies, testify in court or provide other coroner services.
- A $500,000 contract with Forensic Medical Management Services PLC, a Tennessee-based forensic services consulting firm, for temporary pathologists to perform autopsies, draft reports and to provide testimony in court as needed.
- A $500,000 contract with Massachusetts-based Barton & Associates Inc. to recruit temporary, specialty-trained physicians to performautopsies. That contract was later terminated, a coroner's spokesperson said.
- A $500,000 contract with Storer Mortuary Transport Columbus LLC to take bodies to and from Hamilton County.
- A $320,000 contract with Montgomery County for autopsy, microscopic tissue analysis, transportationand audit services.
- A $320,000 contract with Hamilton County for autopsy, toxicology and other coroner services.
- A $90,000 contract with Johnson Mortuary Transport LLC to transport bodies to other Ohio counties for autopsies.
- Three $75,000 contracts, totaling $225,000,withthree former Franklin County pathologists to provide legal depositions and court testimony in connection with autopsies in which they were involved.
- A $66,000 contract with Merritt Hawkins, a recruiting firm owned by Dallas-based AMN Healthcare, to recruit two forensic pathologists.
Since the beginning of May, the Franklin County Coroner's Office has hired at least four pathologists at salaries tens of thousands of dollars higher than it previously offered. The coroner's office will have a full staff of six pathologists by October, which will allow it to handle all the county's autopsies, an office spokesperson said.
Franklin County pathologists leave for private sector, citing professional, personal reasons
Of the four pathologists who left Franklin County from Feb. 7 through April 1, three now work for or operate their own private pathology companies in Dayton, Toledo and North Carolina. The fourth now works in Vermont.
- Dr. Anne Sheplersaid she "accepted another position which will allow me to be closer to my family and help further my career plans." In August, she startedForensic and Neuropathology Consulting PLLCin Salisbury, North Carolina.
- Dr. Kevin B. Jenkinscited the recent death of three family members and a "need to make significant changes in my work life to fulfill my family roles" for his resignation. In March, he startedIZA Forensic Pathology Consulting LLC, based in Dayton.
- Dr. Elaine Amoresano,who did not give a reason for leaving, now serves as the deputy chief medical examiner for theVermont Office of the Chief Medical Examinerin Burlington, Vermont.
- Dr. Maneesah Pandey,who cited "personal and professional reasons" in her resignation letter, continued working as chief forensic pathologist forThe Forensic Pathologists LLC, a private practice based in suburban Toledo. She later told The Dispatch that the Franklin County Coroner's Office was "overworked and understaffed."
In March, Franklin County Commissioners approved $75,000 contracts with Shepler, Jenkins and Pandey to help prosecutors on cases they oversaw. Their rates range from $350-$550 an hour for background work to $500-$600 an hour for depositions and court testimony, according to their contracts.
nshuda@dispatch.com
@NathanielShuda
