Don’t raise coroner standards, legislators say

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A state senator from the Mahoning Valley is reluctant to increase standards for county coroners, and a state representative from the Valley opposes changing the requirements in Ohio.

Another Valley state representative said requiring coroners to be forensic pathologists isn’t practical.

“Rural counties across Ohio already have difficulty finding qualified candidates to serve as coroners, so I would be reluctant to raise the standards,” said state Sen. Joseph Schiavoni, of Boardman, D-33rd.

“We, of course, need county coroners to be qualified medical professionals, but we also don’t want to be in a situation where we can’t find anyone to run for the office in smaller counties,” he added.

Under Ohio law, county coroners must be physicians, but they need not be forensic pathologists.

Because of state budget cuts, the senator said he doubts all 88 Ohio counties could afford to hire a full-time forensic pathologist.

State Rep. John Boccieri, of Poland, D-59th, said he doesn’t favor changing requirements for coroners.

“Their job is mainly administrative and managerial,” he added.

“If there was a state-law change requiring coroners to be forensic pathologists, smaller counties would have a difficult time filling the post,” Boccieri said.

David Corey, executive director of the Ohio State Coroners Association, said as far as he knows, 30 to 35 forensic pathologists work in Ohio coroner’s offices, and there should be about 10 more based on the state’s population of 11.6 million.

“It is simply not feasible to require that all coroners be forensic pathologists,” said state Rep. Michelle Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th.

If county coroners were required to be forensic pathologists, “most of the coroner’s offices in the state would be vacant,” Hagan said.

Hagan cited a finding by the National Association of Medical Examiners that the nation’s 600 forensic pathologists represent half the number needed to fill available positions.

To remedy Ohio’s shortage of forensic pathologists, state officials should consider tuition assistance or forgiveness at Ohio’s colleges and medical schools in exchange for forensic pathologists agreeing to work in county coroner’s offices for a set time period, she suggested.