ASHLAND — The Ashland County Coroner’s Office will no longer send bodies to Cuyahoga County for autopsy services.
Instead, bodies destined for autopsy services will head to Lucas County, where its coroner’s office performs the service for all types of deaths, including overdoses.
Ashland County commissioners agreed to enter into a one-year agreement with Lucas County at a fee of $1,450.
The suggestion to switch providers came when Cuyahoga County announced it would increase the yearly fee to $2,000 and no longer accept overdose cases for autopsy, said Dale Thomae, the county’s coroner.
Transporting bodies to Lucas County will continue to be done by Buckeye Livery, but at a fee increase of $50 per trip.
“Buckeye will hold a body at their facility with a cooling unit until Lucas’ next business hours, then they will drop off. There is no fee for the hold, only an increase for the milage to Lucas as opposed to Cuyahoga County,” reads a letter Dr. Thomae sent commissioners on Oct. 21.
Lucas County’s fee of $1,450 includes an external exam, internal exam and routine drug panels. Additional toxicology screening, such as for fentanyl and opiates, will cost around $75. But not every autopsy will need additional toxicology panels, only overdoses, Dr. Thomae wrote.
The Ohio State Coroners Association states autopsies are to be done when authorities suspect foul play, there isn’t any evidence of a natural death or there is a possibility of a court case “as the result of a homicide, accident, suicide, etc.”
Unless the autopsy goes against a parent’s religious beliefs, the procedure is required for children younger than two years that have “no known potentially lethal disease.”
Ashland County previously used Summit County for its autopsies before moving to Cuyahoga.
The move to Lucas County comes amidst a national shortage in forensic pathologists, the people who perform autopsies. Only 10 of Ohio’s 88 counties have forensic pathologists, which is causing longer wait times across the state for those autopsies to be released to coroners.
Dr. Lisa Kohler, Summit County’s medical examiner, said in September there is only an estimated 500 to 600 forensic pathologists currently working in the U.S., and only about 40 entering the field each year.
Commissioner Jim Justice said he doesn’t think it will slow down the time it takes to receive autopsy reports by using Lucas County.
“My opinion would be it wouldn’t (add to wait times) — Cuyahoga County is pretty backed up … if anything, we’re hoping it would be quicker,” Justice said.
Thomae was not immediately available to comment.
Lucas County currently contracts with 20 other counties for autopsy services, including one county in Michigan, according to its website.
