Dec 30, 2017 3 min read

Credibility.

Washington County Coroner Tim Warco said that is why he wanted his office to go through the lengthy, arduous process of receiving accreditation by the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.

“We must deliver the truth as to why someone died for family members,” Warco said.

The huge undertaking began in the spring of 2015, said Deputy Coroner Matt Yancosek. The process took more than two years to complete.

“I wasn’t even working here then,” Yancosek said.

The accreditation began with an online site assessment. Photographs were taken of the office, death scene investigations and personal equipment, and submitted by email to the association. The association reviewed all the office’s policies and procedures.

“They didn’t leave any details out,” Yancosek said. “The office had policies in place; they were just not necessarily on paper. This is a small office.”

An 80-page manual now details how to handle personal effects, notification of families, recovery of prescription medication at death scenes and recovery of evidence. It also addresses how autopsies should be conducted and how to deal with different religious or social issues that may arise.

“We went back and forth several times with the accreditation team to make sure the manual met their rigorous standards,” Yancosek said. “It is extremely in-depth reporting.”

The auditors and case managers for the IACME made sure the office was doing everything as laid out in the manual.

Warco said the auditors and case managers also met with police chiefs, fire chiefs and other public safety officials, questioning them about the coroner’s office.

Warco said the inspection team from the association was very impressed with the state-of-the art morgue at Washington Hospital used by the coroner’s office for autopsies. The forensic facility, which opened in the summer of 2015, was designed and built as a joint effort between Washington Health System and the county.

“I am proud of the level that we’ve achieved,” Warco said.

Warco said he goes to continuing education classes throughout the year. Every new coroner is required by the state attorney general’s office to pass a 40-hour course in order to hold office, much like district judges are required to complete a course before taking office if they are not attorneys. While each coroner is required to take eight hours in continuing education each year, Warco said he goes to even more courses in continuing education.

“I probably have 50 hours in courses a year that I take, plus those I teach,” he said.

Because he runs a smaller office, Warco said he does not have specialists in different science disciplines on staff but has the ability to call one, such as an anthropologist or odontologist, when their expertise is needed.

Warco said there has been some debate over having an elected coroner versus an appointed medical examiner.

“I was elected by the people. I listen to the people and not some county executive,” Warco said. “We investigate every death and follow up post-mortem and do whatever else is needed to determine the cause and manner of death. We are the watchdog.

“I take pride in what we do,” he added. “The accreditation leads to credibility in court. It is the highest standard set out for an office such as ours.”

His office also meets the standards set by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators.

Yancosek said the IACME will re-evaluate the office every four years.

“Things are continually evolving in forensics,” Yancosek said. “They want to make sure we are holding to the standards.”