Franklin County to study Coroner's Office efficiency, effectiveness amid pathologist shortage

Nathaniel Shuda, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
The Franklin County Forensic Science Center which has the office of coroner Anahi Ortiz on Monday, March 1, 2021
The Franklin County Forensic Science Center which has the office of coroner Anahi Ortiz on Monday, March 1, 2021

Franklin County has hired a Las Vegas-based consulting firm to study the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of its Coroner's Office as it continues to deal with a nationwide shortage of forensic pathologists.

The county Board of Commissioners voted 2-0 Tuesday to approve a $115,500 contract with Forensic Pathology Services LLC to conduct an operational study of the Coroner's Office without any discussion. Commissioner John O'Grady was absent from Tuesday's meeting.

Commissioners also approved by a 2-0 vote a $500,000 contract extension with Storer Mortuary Transport of Columbus LLC to take bodies to and from the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, one of two counties with which Franklin County contracts for help with autopsies.

It's at least the second contract the county has entered into with Forensic Pathology Services this year. In March, the commissioners approved a $720,000 contract with the company for temporary pathologists to perform autopsies, testify in court or provide other coroner services.

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The resolution came days after an investigation by The Dispatch showed Franklin County Coroner Anahi Ortiz's office spent $3.2 million in taxpayer money in 2022 due to a shortage of forensic pathologists — doctors who perform autopsies — after four of the county's five pathologists resigned in January. Ortiz, a pediatrician, used contracts with Hamilton and Montgomery counties, the latter of which provides autopsies for more than half of Ohio's 88 counties, to help keep up with the workload from homicides and overdoses and other deaths.

As part of its 20-week contract with Franklin County, Forensic Pathology Services will:

  • Assess the office's organizational structure and whether it is efficient, effective and transparent, as well as its overall strategy, including the effectiveness of its leadership team; whether current resources meet the office's needs; and whether the leadership team has the skills needed to meet its goals, including technical training, cultural competence, management essentials and related staff development.

  • Analyze each department with regards to services it provides and tasks it performs, its abilities to meet baseline service levels now and in the future, the resources required and process improvements.

  • Assess the office's decision making; accountability; organizational efficiency; human resources; data collection, monitoring and reporting; and communications and public affairs.

  • Interview administrative, clinical, medical and investigative staff and survey all employees; shadow various departments and/or staff, as needed; compare the office to similar offices across the country; contact outside agencies about the office's efficiency, effectiveness and methods; and review the effectiveness of office's facility and equipment.

  • Analyze and compare population growth trends, increasing case numbers and the size of the office's staff and evaluate whether they affect the office's effectiveness.

  • Recommend any staffing changes required to boost effectiveness.

In June, the commissioners also approved a $25,000 contract with Paul Werth Associates Inc. to provide the office with public relations and reputation management consulting for six months.

nshuda@dispatch.com

@NathanielShuda

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County to study Coroner's Office efficiency, effectiveness