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Board renews MidMichigan Medical Examiner contract; medical‑examiner office reports rise in accidental deaths and new CT scanner
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Summary
Clare County approved a contract renewal with MidMichigan Medical Examiner Group LLC through Sept. 30, 2029, after hearing an annual update from the medical examiner’s office highlighting an increase in reported cases, a 31% rise in accidental deaths (19 to 26), a doubling in suicides, and deployment of a grant‑funded CT scanner now in Grayling.
The Clare County Board of Commissioners voted to renew its contract with MidMichigan Medical Examiner Group LLC through Sept. 30, 2029, following a presentation from the county’s medical‑examiner office about recent caseload and capability changes.
"We did have 106 noted, and then we went to 137," Lisa Kasprag, speaking for the medical‑examiner office, told the board, summarizing year‑to‑year caseload trends. Kasprag said accidental deaths rose from 19 to 26 (about a 31% increase) and that recorded suicides doubled over the period reported. She also described toxicology patterns — including alcohol, methamphetamine and some fentanyl detections — and explained the office’s approach to autopsies and testing.
Kasprag described a recently installed, grant‑funded CT scanner housed in Grayling (serving Clare County cases) and said the scanner "can detect up to 85 percent of what an autopsy can" and that scans take roughly seven minutes. She said the scanner gives the office an additional, lower‑cost tool for determining cause of death and for preserving a permanent image record.
After the presentation, a commissioner moved to renew the MidMichigan Medical Examiner contract as presented; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call. The motion to renew the contract listed an effective term through 09/30/2029 and was carried by roll call vote.
Board members also discussed the selection process for autopsy versus scanning and confirmed that the chief medical examiner (named in the presentation) makes the operational decisions about which cases require invasive autopsy and which can be handled with imaging and targeted testing. No change to the county’s policy on autopsies was announced at the meeting.
The board’s approval ensures continuity of the county’s medical‑examiner services through 2029; the renewal and the office’s investment in imaging aim to streamline investigations while controlling costs.
