Welcome to the Kentucky Coroner's Association!
In order to assist the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, we have provided information on how to contact coroners and find answers to frequently asked questions about our professional services. Coroners can also find information and sign up for training programs through the Department of Criminal Justice Training.
In Calendar Year 2011, according to preliminary data from the Office of Vital Statistics, Kentucky's coroners and deputy coroners conducted 9,282 death investigations across the Commonwealth. As part of their investigations, coroners requested services from the State Medical Examiner's Office in 2,378 of those cases, or in approximately 25.6% of all deaths, this according to the Office of the State Medical Examiner 2011 Calendar Year Annual Report.
This compares to Calendar Year 2010 with 9,566 coroner death investigations and 2,452 autopsies, and Calendar Year 2009 with 8,953 coroner death investigations and 2,373 autopsies.
The death investigation system in Kentucky is a cooperative effort among and between county coroners' offices and the State Medical Examiner's Office. In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, coroners and deputy coroners have the full power and authority of peace officers and they investigate the cause and manner of all deaths that are defined as coroner's cases by KRS 72.405.
Contacts for the Kentucky Coroner's Association:
Brian Ritchie, Executive Secretary
Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Phone: (859) 839-5151
E-mail: blritchie66@yahoo.com
Dr. William H. Lee, Association President (2013-2014)
Hardin County Coroner
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Phone: (270) 723-3135
E-mail:coroner227@aol.com
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Senate Bill 52 signed by the Governor |
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Governor Beshear signed Senate Bill 52 on March 12, 2013. This law requires that all death certificates in Kentucky are to be filed electronically through the KY-EDRS system beginning January 01, 2015. This affects funeral homes, physicians, and coroners.
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2013 Kentucky Coroner's Conference scheduled for April 16-19, 2013 |
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The 46th Annual Kentucky Coroner's Conference is just around the corner April 16-19,2013. Kentucky Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Tracey Corey, the State Medical Examiner's Office, KCA Secretary/Treasurer Brian Ritchie, and your KCA Board of Directors have worked hard to provide a quality opportunity for training and fellowship at this years Conference. Keep in mind that most of these topics will be presented this year only!
Some of the presentations include:
"Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me"
Dr. Gregory Wanger- KY Medical Examiner- Madisonville Office
"Heroin in Kentucky"
Dr. Tracey Corey- Kentucky Chief Medical Examiner
"Update on House Bill 1"
Van Ingram- Executive Director of ODCP
"Heroin in Kentucky- A Law Enforcement Perspective"
Detective Mike Halbeib
"Why Child Fatality Review is Important for your Community"
Susan H. Pollack, MD, FAAP, Sherry Rock, MPH
"Cases from Hardin County, KY"
Dr. Bill Lee- Hardin County Coroner
"Comparing Coroner/M.E. Programs of Mississippi and Kentucky
Dr. Mark LeVaughn
"Electronic Death Registration System"
Christina S. Stewart- Administrative Branch Manager, Office of Vital Statistics
"Interesting Cases from Ohio"
Dr. Bill Ralston, Chief Deputy Coroner, Hamilton Co. Ohio
"Death in Custody"
Dr. W. Ashton Ennis, Pathologist II with the Philadelphia M.E. Office
"U.K Body Bequeathal Program and Coroners"
Gary Ginn, Coordinator and Fayette County County Coroner
"Mystery of the Dreamcaster"
Forrest Hicks, Wayne County Coroner
"I Think I May Have Been Here Before"
David Jones- Kentucky Coroner/M.E. Consultant
"Some of the Problems Coroner's Have in Other States"
David Jones- Kentucky Coroner/M.E. Consultant
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Update on House Bill 1 |
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Under HB 1, you are required, by statute, to report drug-related deaths to the KSP and Vital Statistics.
If your case has been examined by a Kentucky Medical Examiner, this is already done for you.
If you submit a toxicology sample without an autopsy being conducted, the State Chief Medical Examinerwill review all AIT toxicology reports. If that review indicates it may be a drug-related death, you will receive a request for a copy of the death certificate.
If you provide the State Medical Examiner with the death certificate, we will report the case for you. If we receive no response, you will be responsible for reporting the case to KSP and Vital Statistics.
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KY-EDRS Update |
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According to Christina Stewart, Administrative Branch Manager for the Office of Vital Statistics, the KY-EDRS system is becoming more and more popular with coroners offices across the state. Nearly half of the coroners offices across the state now using electronic death registration as their primary method of registration. In the month of July, 36% of all death certificates were filed electronically. These numbers continue to rise with each passing month.
The Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics offers funeral facility training and medical certifier face-to-face training sessions on how to register and file death certificates through the use of KY-EDRS. The following training dates are currently scheduled:
February 13, 2013 Wednesday9-11 a.m. EST
March 13, 2013 Wednesday9-11 a.m. EST
April 10, 2013 Wednesday9-11 a.m. EST
June 12, 2013 Wednesday9-11 a.m. EST
The Office of Vital Statistics offers two-hour training sessions that are available to all funeral facility staff, medical certifiers and medical certifier assistants. Training will take place at the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services in the CHR Building located at 275 East Main, Frankfort, Ky. Though KY-EDRS training is not mandatory for participation, certifiers may find it helpful to take part in one of these face to face training sessions with OVS staff. Please call toll free 1 (866) 451-3781 to enroll.
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