Franklin County commissioners may extend $225,000 in contracts for former pathologists
Correction: On Dec. 8, Franklin County Democratic Party Central Committee appointed Dr. Nate Overmire to serve out the rest of Dr. Anahi Ortiz's unexpired term as county coroner. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the status of the coroner's position.
Franklin County commissioners will consider a request at their meeting Tuesday to extend three contracts totaling $225,000, with three former forensic pathologists to help with autopsy cases in which they were involved.
Four of the county's five pathologists resigned in January 2022, forcing the county coroner's office to spend millions in contracts with Montgomery and other counties and private firms to handle autopsies. As part of Franklin County's efforts to address the growing backlog, it also contracted with three of its former deputy coroners to help on cases they oversaw.
In March, the county contracted with Drs. Anne Shepler, Kevin B. Jenkins and Maneesah Pandey for $75,000 each to provide legal depositions and court testimony in connection with autopsies in which they were involved. Their rates ranged from $350-$550 an hour for background work to $500-$600 an hour for depositions and court testimony, according to their contracts.
More:How the county coroner in Dayton is building an autopsy empire across Ohio
Shepler runs Forensic and Neuropathology Consulting PLLC in Salisbury, North Carolina; Jenkins operates IZA Forensic Pathology Consulting LLC, based in Dayton; and Pandey works as chief forensic pathologist for The Forensic Pathologists LLC, a private practice based in suburban Toledo.
Although the coroner's office now has a nearly full staff of six full-time pathologists and a pathology assistant and says it is able to handle all of its own autopsies, the county prosecutor's office is asking commissioners to extend the former employees' contracts for another year so they are available to testify in pending court matters about autopsies they performed.
Dr. Andrea McCollom, a forensic pathologist from Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) who served as a deputy coroner and interim medical examiner there, has been a deputy coroner in Franklin County since Sept. 30 and began serving as acting coroner in Franklin County since her appointment in November.
She succeeded Dr. Anahi Ortiz, a pediatrician who retired Nov. 11 after eight years heading the office, ahead of a consultant's review and after a Dispatch investigation showed millions spent to shore up operations.
On Dec. 8, the Franklin County Democratic Party Central Committee appointed Dr. Nate Overmire to serve out the rest of Ortiz's unexpired term in office.
More:What you need to know about coroners, forensic pathologists and autopsies in Ohio
In a separate item, the commissioners Tuesday also will consider approving the use of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Support Services building, 910 N. Hague Ave., as a backup morgue in case of a mass fatality event, a situation the coroner's office is incapable of handling at its Forensic Science Center, 2090 Hague Road, or any circumstance that might render that facility unusable, such as a major water main break or severe weather damage.
nshuda@dispatch.com
@NathanielShuda
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County ex-pathologists may get $225k in contract extensions
