Ohio State Coroners
Association
SPRING 2023
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Kevin L. Park, MD, Williams County Coroner
As I again address our dedicated Coroners, Deputy
Coroners, Invesgators and sta, I connue to be grateful
for the thankless service that all of you provide to your
constuents and your counes.
As we connue to move forward in 2023, we have many
things to share in addion to our goals of supporng,
networking, and trying to aid one another.
First, OSCA understands that research is the foundaon for progress in
medicine and advancing death invesgaon. Therefore, I am pleased to
announce that OSCA has decided to sponsor two (2) annual research and
innovaon grants. The “OSCA Research / Innovaon Grant” submission
period is April 1 - June 1, 2023 and the maximum grant amount is $10,000.
Please see the grant applicaon and guidelines provided on page 3.
Second, I encourage OSCA members to aend the OHLEG Training Program
on Friday, March 31, 2023 from 10:00-11:00am ET. This training will be
held both in-person and virtually. If you plan to aend the
in-person training please let the OSCA oce know so that we can provide
them with your contact informaon. The in-person training locaon is BCI,
1560 State Route 56, SW, London, OH 43140, 3
rd
Floor Training Room.
Please see page 7 for the meeng link and addional informaon.
Third, I would like to thank all of those who are making possible our annual
conference this coming May 11-13, 2023 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in
Dublin (Columbus). We are looking forward to a robust program with
excellent presenters and topics. In addion, there will be several new
exhibitors. Conference registraon informaon and the agenda has been
emailed to all coroner oces, please forward it to your sta members so
that they can register themselves. As in 2022, we will again be using
Conference Tracker for online conference registraon and management.
All aendees will need to be registered through Conference Tracker with
their own unique email address. Please contact the OSCA oce if there
are quesons and you can also review the conference registraon
informaon provided on pages 4-6.
As we prepare for the conference, I ask for your nominaons to OSCA’s
Board of Directors. Serving on OSCA’s Board of Directors is a meaningful
way contribute to OSCA and its mission. I encourage you to submit your
nominaons to the OSCA oce at o[email protected].
OSCA NEWS
Inside this issue:
OSCA Research /
Innovaon Grant
3
OSCA Conference
Informaon
4-6
OSCA-PAC update
6
Helpful Resources 7-8
Case Study, “Suicide by
Illicit Drug Overdose”, Lisa
Mannix, MD, Butler
County Coroner
9-10
2023 OSCA-PAC
Contribuon Form
11
Ohio State Coroners
Association
3757 Indianola Ave.
Columbus, OH 43214
Phone: 614/262-OSCA
(262-6722)
Fax: 614/784-9771
Email: o[email protected]
ohiocoroners.org
Page 2
One of the highlights of the Friday evening OSCA Recepon and Banquet is the presentaon of OSCA’s
service awards. This year I am pleased to report that OSCA will be presenng a new award, the Adelson-
Balraj-Patrick Award, which will be presented to a Forensic Pathologist with a minimum three years of
outstanding Ohio service. Forensic pathologists play a vital role in Ohio’s death invesgaon system. Beyond
performing complete autopsies and interpreng toxicology, the forensic pathologist serves Ohio’s coroners
and medical examiners with connuing educaon, guidance during invesgaons, and high quality through
reliability.
I would like to encourage all of you to please consider subming nominaons for OSCA’s Service Awards. A
descripon of each award is provided below. Nominang OSCA Members should provide their nominee’s
name, county, and a short supporng statement, stang why you believe your nominee is deserving. Please
submit your nominaons to the OSCA oce at o[email protected] by Monday, April 10, 2023.
Lastly, I connue to be grateful for your service and for allowing me to serve as your president. I am looking
forward to seeing everyone in May.
Kevin L. Park, MD
OSCA President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (CONTINUED)
SAMUEL R. GERBER AWARD
The Samuel R. Gerber Award is presented to a recipient for faithful and dedicated service delivered over and
above the ordinary, in a professional and objective manner to the general public while promoting a better
understanding of the Office of the County Coroner.
PAUL A. COREY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
The Paul A. Corey Distinguished Service Award is presented in recognition of outstanding service to OSCA and
Ohio’s coroners. It may not be awarded annually.
CORONER INVESTIGATOR SERVICE AWARD
The Coroner Investigator Service Award is presented in recognition of outstanding service to OSCA and Ohio’s
coroners. Coroner Investigators play a critical role in Ohio’s modern death investigation system. OCSA wishes
to recognize those investigators who provide exemplary service to OSCA and advance the professionalism of
the office of County Coroner. Recognition can be provided for serving the needs of Ohio’s citizenry,
advancing the science through publication or presentations or demonstrating leadership in regional or
statewide events.
ADELSON-BALRAJ-PATRICK AWARD (FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST OF THE YEAR)
The Adelson-Balraj-Patrick Award is presented to a Forensic Pathologist with a minimum three years of
outstanding Ohio service. The forensic pathologist is a vital role in Ohio’s death invesgaon system.
Beyond performing complete autopsies and interpreng toxicology, the forensic pathologist serves Ohio’s
coroners and medical examiners with connuing educaon, guidance during invesgaons, and high quality
through reliability. Coroners and Medical Examiners enjoy the luxury of mely collaboraon and
aenveness from the forensic pathologist. It may not be awarded annually.
OSCA Service Award Descriptions
Page 3
OSCA Research / Innovation Grant
Page 4
OSCA 2023 ANNUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Celebrating 77 Years of Promoting
Professional Advancement of Coroners in
Ohio
OSCA’s 77
th
Annual Educaon Conference will be held Thursday, May
11 through Saturday, May 13, 2023 at the Embassy Suites Hotel
located at 5100 Upper Metro Place, Dublin, OH 43017, phone: (614)
790-9000.
Hotel Room Reservaons and Meals – The Embassy Suites Hotel sleeping room rate is $142+ tax per night.
For those counes who have remied their 2023 Membership Dues, OSCA will pay for: One (1) sleeping
room for Thursday and Friday nights (however, you are responsible for any incidental room charges such as
room service, phone, laundry, restaurant/lounge, et al); Two (2) Thursday lite lunches; Two (2) Friday
lunches; Two (2) Friday dinners; and various meeng “Breaks”. For those counes who wish to register
meals for addional persons, OSCA, in conjuncon with the hotel, has set the low rates listed below. Please
note: Any addional meals will be invoiced to each county AFTER the conference has concluded.
• Thursday, May 5, Lite Lunch, $20
• Friday, May 6, Lunch, $25
• Friday, May 6, Banquet Dinner, $50
You may make your hotel sleeping room reservaon by clicking on the below hotel link or by calling the
Embassy Suites central reservaons number listed below. Please note: Hotel room reservaons MUST be
made directly with the Embassy Suites NO LATER THAN 6:00 pm on Friday, April 14
.
Hotel Reservaon Link: hps://group.embassysuites.com/pw9ajd
Central Reservaons Number: (800) 220-9219
Group Name: Ohio State Coroners Associaon 2023 Conference
Group Code: CO2
Conference Registraon Informaon – This year’s conference will be held in-person, there will not be a
virtual opon. OSCA will be applying for approximately 16.75 hours of connuing medical educaon credits
for the 2023 program. As in 2022, OCSA will again be using Conference Tracker for online conference
registraon and management including aendance, session details, and evaluaons. Before registering,
please review the important points below.
• The online conference registraon form must be completed by EACH parcipant and EACH
parcipant must have their own email address.
• Once you have completed the registraon form, you will receive two emails. Please note: These
emails will come from Conference Tracker and not the OSCA oce email address. The rst email
is a registraon conrmaon and the second email will include your login informaon for
Conference Tracker.
Page 5
OSCA 2023 ANNUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE (CONTINUED)
• We strongly encourage you to download and login to the Conference Aendee App PRIOR to the
conference. You can download and install the app at the following links iOS App Store and Google
Play Store, or you can search for the app in your device’s store by entering “Conference Aendee
App”. Please be sure to download the GREEN app and NOT the blue app. The Conference
Aendee app will allow you to view details about each session/locaon, the presenters and their
les, receive announcements, complete evaluaons, parcipate in onsite polls, and communicate
with those in aendance.
• As you parcipate in each speaker’s session you will scan a provided QR Session Code to record your
aendance and receive credit for that session. This is the way our CME provider needs us to guarantee
that everyone was in the session that they claim credit for.
Conference Registraon Link – Please click on the following link to register for the conference. OSCA
Conference Registraon
We strongly urge all coroners to aend the 2023 conference due to Ohio Revised Code Secon 313.02 which
states, " … beginning in calendar year 2001, each coroner, during the coroner's four-year term, shall aend
and successfully complete thirty-two hours of connuing educaon at programs sponsored by the Ohio
State Coroners Associaon … Each coroner shall aend twenty-four of these thirty-two hours at statewide
meengs, and eight of these thirty-two hours at regional meengs sponsored by the associaon … ". The
hours obtained at this meeng will apply toward the twenty-four hour "statewide" requirement and the
Friday Regional Breakout sessions will apply toward the eight-hour "regional" requirement.
If you have quesons, please contact the OSCA oce at o[email protected] or (614) 262-6722. Thank you and
we look forward to seeing you May 11-13 in Dublin!
OSCA MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
We are pleased to report that as of March 21, 2023, 80 OSCA Members have paid their 2023 dues.
HAS YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGED?
Please send us an update—o[email protected]
TOURS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE
The Franklin County Coroner’s Oce would like to welcome OSCA Members to tour their facility on Thursday,
May 11 from 9:30-11:00am prior to the start of the Annual Educaon Conference or on Saturday, May 13
from noon-2:00pm aer the conference has concluded. The Franklin County Coroner’s Oce is located at
2090 Frank Road, Columbus, Ohio 43223 (Transportaon on own). If you have already registered for the
conference and would like to take a tour, please email the OSCA oce at o[email protected] with your name,
county, posion, and tour date. If you have not registered for the conference yet this queson has been
added to the conference registraon form.
Page 6
OSCA 2023 ANNUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE, Sessions & Speakers
OSCA-PAC UPDATE
We are pleased to report that as of March 21, 2023, the following individuals have made contribuons to
OSCA’s 2023 Polical Acon Commiee.
Pamela Lancaster, DO (Ashtabula) Kent Harshbarger, MD (Montgomery)
Brian Varney, MD (Faireld) R. Alan Spencer, DO (Noble)
John Urbancic, MD (Geauga) David T. Applegate, MD (Oawa and Union)
Je Harwood, MD (Huron) Kenneth Leopold, MD (Washington)
Frank Miller, MD (Lorain) Amy Jolli, MD (Wayne)
Kevin Park, MD (Williams)
The only source of income for OSCA-PAC is from your personal contribuons. We encourage you to take me today to
join with your colleagues in supporng your OSCA-PAC by sending your donaon via personal check or money order
(corporate checks are not legal under Ohio law). You can nd the 2023 OSCA-PAC form on page 11.
Thursday, May 11, 2023
“Murder by Poison”, John H. Trestrail, III BS Pharm, FAACT, DABAT-E
“Pregnancy Associated Deaths”, Hon. Darren Adams, DO, Scioto County Coroner
“Airplane Crash Deaths”, Lisa Kohler, MD, Summit County Medical Examiner
“Overview of OSCA’s Autopsy Crisis Project”, Hon. David T. Applegate, II, MD, MBOE, Union &Oawa County Coroner
Friday, May 12, 2023
“Mental Health Issues for Coroners and Sta”, Elizabeth Brondolo, PhD., St John’s University, Social Stress & Research
Department
“Indigent Burials – What You Need to Know”, Joseph Stopak, D-ABMDI, Manager of Invesgaon and Morgue
Operaons Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Oce
“Regional Meengs” Central: Hon. Nathaniel Overmire, DO, Franklin County Coroner, NE: Hon. David Kennedy, MD,
Mahoning County Coroner, NW: Hon. Douglas W. Hess, MD, Wood County Coroner, SE: Hon. Alice Frazier, DO, Jackson
County Coroner, SW: Hon. Lakshmi Sammarco, MD, Hamilton County Coroner
Non-Coroner Session - “Interesng Cases”, Steve Senecker, D-ABMDI, OSCA Training Coordinator, Auglaize County
“The Death Cercate – What I Wasn’t Taught in Medical School”, Erica J. Armstrong, MD, D-ABP (AP, CP, FP), MRO,
Franklin County Coroner’s Oce
“Human Tracking Deaths – the Coroner’s Targeted Role”, Detecve John L. Morgan, Cuyahoga County Sheri’s Oce
“Case Review Exercises”, Steve Senecker, D-ABMDI, OSCA Training Coordinator , Auglaize County
Saturday, May 13, 2023
“Exhumaons – the Process and What Can It Potenally Reveal?”, Hon. Diane Scala-Barne, MD, Lucas County
Coroner
“Public Records Requests, Administraon and Retenon Policy”, Michelle “Mickey” Lymon, BA, AS, Invesgator,
Licking County Coroner’s Oce
“Inquests – What Are They and How to Conduct One”, Hon. Frank Miller, MD, Lorain County Coroner
“Elder Abuse Deaths”, Michael Caplan, MD, Franklin County Deputy Coroner
Page 7
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Virtual Education Opportunities for OPERS Members
OPERS Pension and Health Care: Understanding the Value of Your Contribuons. To learn more and register
for this webinar, please click here.
Funding Pension and Health Care: This webinar will provide you with the nancial status of the OPERS
Pension and Health Care Trust Funds as well as a review of our membership stascs To learn more and
register for this webinar, please click here.
You can nd commonly used OSCA
documents such as the OSCA
Membership Directory and
Regional Map in OSCA’s Dropbox.
In addion, any available
presentaon les from the 2021
Annual Conference and the 2022
Annual Conference can also be
found in OSCA’s Dropbox.
You can access the documents and
presentaons at the following
links.
OSCA Documents
2021 Annual Educaon Conference
2022 Annual Educaon Conference
OSCA Documents
and 2021-2022 OSCA
Conference Materials
OHLEG In Person & Virtual Training
When: Friday, March 31, 2023 10:00 AM-11:00 AM
(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
Where: BCI, 1560 State Route 56, SW, London, OH
43140
3
rd
Floor Training Room
___________________________________________________________________
_____________
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 229 677 288 041
Passcode: kQhcKH
Download Teams | Join on the web
Or call in (audio only)
+1 917-768-5183,,542964514# United States, New York City
Phone Conference ID: 542 964 514#
Find a local number | Reset PIN
Learn More | Meeting options
NMS Labs, a longme supporter of OSCA and Annual Educaon Conference exhibitor, will be hosng a
“Disguised by Design: a 2023 update on Emerging Drugs” webinar on Wednesday, March 29 from 1:00-
2:00pm ET. There is no cost for the webinar and you can register by clicking on the following link: NMS Labs
Webinar Registraon.
NMS “Disguised by Design: a 2023 update on Emerging Drugs” webinar
on Wednesday, March 29 from 1:00-2:00pm ET.
Page 8
HELPFUL RESOURCES
Coroners should participate in Project DAWN
David Applegate II, MD
Union & Oawa County Coroner
As all coroners, medical examiners and death invesgators know, opioid related deaths have
become all to rounely common. Since 1999, 932,000 Americans have died by overdose.
Historically, the infrequent opioid overdose was related to street heroin but in the early 2000’s
prescripve opioids were the primary cause of overdose deaths. As healthcare and regulatory
systems restricted the supply of prescripon opioids, the users turned back to the streets only to nd fentanyl
and its countless analogs. In 2020, 92,000 Americans died of overdose with 75% being caused by an opioid
substance. Of these 69,000, were opioid deaths and 82.3% (almost 57,000) were caused by fentanyl or one of its
analogs.
With the appearance of carfentanil, many death invesgators began to carry naloxone for their personal safety.
Naloxone is a high anity opioid antagonist on the µ receptor but is short acng (T½ ~1-1.5hrs). To date, there
have not been any reported opioid poisoning deaths reported by EMS or death invesgators in the State of Ohio.
In 2012, Portsmouth, Ohio (Scioto County) started a program of providing naloxone to anyone who desired it.
Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone) was born. It provided nasal spray naloxone kits AND training.
The program has grown throughout Ohio and naonally. Many States, including Ohio, have made naloxone
available without a prescripon from pharmacies or Project DAWN enes.
Coroners and death invesgators who conduct scene invesgaons oen nd drug paraphernalia and illicit
substances openly and cleverly concealed. It is not unimaginable that some illicit substances are not discovered
by law enforcement or death invesgators. This poses a risk to the family and friends who ulmately and possibly
unsuspecngly “clean” the scene.
In an eort to prevent such an accidental intoxicaon or overdose, the Union County Coroner’s Oce partnered
with the Union County Health Department’s Project DAWN program. Union County death invesgators have
been trained and provided with an inventory of naloxone (Narcan 4mg and Kloxxado 8mg per acvaon) for
distribuon to family and friends at overdose scenes. As a partner of Project Dawn, the death invesgators must
provide educaon and training on the use of the naloxone. Documentaon of the training and dispensing of the
naloxone must be submied to the Union County Health Department Project DAWN team once a month. There is
no cost for the naloxone for the family or the Coroner’s oce. The addional 10-15 minutes required at a death
scene is viewed as an act of signicant harm reducon and prevenon of another overdose.
If you have quesons on how to establish this prevenon acvity, please contact your county health department
or the Union County Coroner’s Oce (David Applegate, MD or Lance Emberling, D-ABMDI). It is well worth the
eort!
Page 9
CASE STUDY
Suicide by Illicit Drug Overdose
Lisa K. Mannix, M.D.
Coroner, Butler County Ohio
This case was presented at the Butler County Overdose and Suicide Fatality Review. Butler
County established an Overdose Fatality Review Commiee in 2020 and in September 2022
incorporated Suicide Fatalies into that commiee. The authority to conduct reviews of these
deaths is found in the Ohio Revised Code secons 307.631-639 and 307.641-649. ORC
307.6410 permits a hybrid overdose and suicide fatality commiee. Our commiee members
represent the Health Department, Coroner, Law Enforcement, Mental Health and Addicon
Recovery Services, local health care and mental health providers, and other community advocates. Given the
signicant contribuon of mental health issues related to both these types of death, the commiee members
are well suited to discuss factors involved in both overdose deaths and suicides and to make
recommendaons for prevenon of future cases.
Having invesgated over 1800 overdose deaths during my 10 years as Coroner, I typically rule the manner of
death as “accident” for almost all cases involving use of illicit drugs. This case was an excepon:
A 52-year-old white male was found deceased at his home on a welfare check by law enforcement. He was
found supine on the couch on the lower level of the house. White powder on a plate with a straw and baggie
were found in the kitchen. A spoon, e-o and syringes were found in the upstairs bedroom. A four-page
typed note was found on the bedroom nightstand and in the printer on the lower level. The note, addressed
to his wife, included apologies and instrucons as well as this quote “this OD is NOT an accident.”
Past medical history included suicide aempts 20 years prior by means of cung and overdose. The
decedent was known to have access to rearms in the home. For more than 2 years he was receiving
medicaon assisted treatment (Buprenorphine-Naloxone) for substance use disorder but disconnued
abruptly approximately 7 months prior to death. He had at least one convicon on possession of drugs.
Approximately 6 weeks prior to death he was seen at a local hospital for a drug overdose then went to a
Rehab Facility in Florida. He returned home one week prior to death. In the 48 hours prior to death, his wife
issued a restraining order and led for divorce. He was last known alive 24 hours prior to the welfare check.
Per the protocol used by the Butler County Coroner’s Oce for invesgaon of suspected drug overdose
deaths, the decedent had an external exam only and blood was sent for quantave analysis for drugs of
abuse. The toxicology results are shown, please see page 10.
Given the decedent’s history of substance use disorder, scene invesgaon and toxicology ndings, my ruling
would have been “accidental” manner. Illicit drugs purchased on the street lack quality control and the user
does not know what “dose” they may get with any parcular use. It is unknown if he used a greater than
usual amount of each drug in this case. The toxicology results are in the range typically seen in accidental
drug overdose deaths. The suicide note clearly documents his intent of self-harm. He had access to
potenally more lethal means – the rearms, but he chose drugs. The manner of death was ruled “suicide.”
Page 10
CASE STUDY (CONTINUED)
The recommendaons of the Overdose and Suicide Fatality Review included training Law Enforcement to
idenfy persons at risk of self-harm, for example when serving court orders. Another recommendaon was
to screen for suicidal ideaon and treat depression in persons with substance use disorder.
Please contact me if you would like more informaon about forming an Overdose and Suicide Fatality Review
Commiee in your county.
MannixLK@ButlerCountyOhio.org
OSCA-PAC 2023
Contribution Form
Circle One: President Chairman Pace Setter Associate Other
$500 $250 $100 $50
Please Print:
Name:_________________________________________________________________________
County:________________________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________________
City: ___________________________________ State:_______________ Zip:_____________
Phone:____________________________________ Fax:________________________________
E-mail:________________________________________________________________________
Return with your personal check to: OSCA-PAC
3757 Indianola Ave.
Columbus, OH 43214-3753
Ohio Law Prohibits the acceptance of Corporate Checks
Thank You
Page 11
May 10-13, 2023
Annual Educaon Conference
Embassy Suites, Columbus/Dublin
• To provide a professional organizaon for Ohio’s 88 Coroners. (Coroners
being those licensed physicians who invesgate sudden and/or suspicious
deaths and perform autopsies in connecon therewith as well as those
licensed physicians who invesgate such death but do not perform
autopsies.)
• To discuss various administrave, professional, ethical, et. al, maers
aecng Coroners.
• To establish a connuing educaon curriculum, to sponsor educaonal
seminars and to exchange professional experiences.
• To consider and encourage methods of improving and promong the oce
of Coroner.
• To further programs that enable the general public and other public ocials
to beer understand/appreciate the vital role Coroners play in today’s
society.
OSCA’S MISSION
Ohio State Coroners Association
3757 Indianola Ave.
Columbus, OH 43214
Phone: 614/262-OSCA (262-6722)
Fax: 614/784-9771
Email: o[email protected]
ohiocoroners.org
The OSCA leadership team is comprised of veteran industry professionals with the
desire to advance the coroner’s oces of Ohio through the disseminaon of
professional news, ideas and events.
OSCA’s leadership represents the industry in a professional and courteous manner,
whether its in the Statehouse or in public. The leadership team changes on a
yearly basis. This year’s team is proud to serve the members of OSCA.
OFFICERS
Kevin L. Park, MD
President
Thomas P. Gilson, MD
Vice President
Amy S. Jolli, MD
Secretary
David T. Applegate II, MD
Treasurer
Darren C. Adams, DO
Board Chair
DIRECTORS
Sco Jarvis, MD
Mark Komar, MD
Benjamin Mack, MD
Lisa Mannix, MD
Carl Ortman, MD
Diane Scala-Barne, MD
STAFF
David P. Corey, MBA
Execuve Director
Kent Harshbarger,
MD, JD, MBA
Chief Forensic Ocer
Steve Senecker
OSCA Training Coordinator
Stephanie Ortega
OSCA Execuve Assistant
Save
the
Date
May 10-13, 2023
Annual Educaon Conference
Embassy Suites, Columbus/Dublin
Save
the
Date
May 9-11, 2024
Annual Educaon Conference
InterConnental Hotel, Cleveland