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Stephenson County coroner reports April death totals; board discusses after-hours transfer policy
Summary
The county coroner reported 43 deaths in April (37 natural, 1 accidental, 5 pending) and described delays when contracted transport is required after hours; board members discussed drafting a policy to transfer bodies to the county morgue to avoid long deputy wait times but no formal action was taken.
The Stephenson County coroner reported April statistics and prompted board discussion about after-hours transfers and potential policy changes to reduce deputy wait times when contracted transportors are delayed.
"For April, we had 43 total deaths. 37 of those were natural, 1 accidental, and 5 are pending," the coroner reported, adding that May totals were not available because the state's record system was undergoing an upgrade. The coroner said he expected to regain access soon and would provide updated totals when available.
Board members raised concerns about long waits when contracted pickup firms are delayed after hours. The coroner said some contracted services pick up from other counties first, which can produce multi-hour waits at hospitals. "Anything that happens after hours is their pickup is contracted out... you're looking at an additional... we were there 4 hours in wait time," the coroner said, noting that deputies waiting at hospitals can affect staffing and budgets.
Members discussed a possible policy to move bodies to the county morgue when pickups would be prolonged so deputies would not be required to wait at hospitals. "Maybe that can be a policy that says if it's longer than later, then we automatically gonna move here rather than have deputy sitting around waiting," one board member suggested. The coroner said that if prolonged delays occur the county could transfer the decedent to the morgue and arrange a next-day transfer or other procedure, but no formal policy change was adopted at the meeting.
The coroner also noted challenges from consolidation in the funeral industry: when companies are bought out, contracted pickups may originate farther away, increasing response times. He said his office has worked with contractors that typically respond within an hour but that the county does not have 24/7 staff available to receive immediate transfers at the morgue.
The board requested the coroner provide comparative year-over-year death numbers at a future meeting for budget planning; the coroner offered to prepare that information once the records system is accessible.
