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Medical examiner reports rise in local suicides; county forming fatality review team
Summary
Debbie Stadola, the county medical examiner, told the Public Safety Committee that case volume rose about 5% over 2024 and suicides increased to 34 this year; she said the county will launch a fatality review team and distribute family support packets for suicide loss.
Debbie Stadola, Washington County medical examiner, told the Public Safety Committee that the office handled roughly a 5% increase in caseload over 2024 and recorded 34 suicides in the most recent year, up from 27 in 2024 and 24 in 2023.
Stadola said the office had about 1,69 cases in the period covered by the annual report and that only two cases remained pending; she said the office is finalizing a family support packet for those suffering suicide loss and expects to begin distribution when printed materials arrive. "We are kind of in the final editing stages of those packets," Stadola said, adding that the sheriff's office CRU team, ACS and local coalition partners helped compile grief‑support resources.
The medical examiner said she expects a new county fatality review team to begin work in the next couple of months to examine suicide cases for service gaps that might be addressed. "I'm looking forward to our fatality review team taking off here in the next couple of months to start diving into those cases to see if there's any gaps in our community services that can be addressed," she said.
Committee members thanked Stadola for improved case‑closure rates. Supervisor Newman asked whether donated medications are being accepted locally; Stadola said a Washington County clinic on Highway 33 changed ownership and policy, so the office identified an out‑of‑county clinic that will accept some donations, and the Freigher system accepts only limited items. "We just couldn't find anybody locally," Stadola said of options for medication donation in‑county.
A committee member asked how long after a fall a death remains attributable to the fall. Stadola said most fall‑related deaths are among older adults and that she generally considers events within six months as likely related, then evaluates complications such as immobility, infections or pneumonia when determining cause of death.
The committee did not take formal action; members encouraged the office's plans for family support materials and the fatality review team. The report concluded with gratitude from the committee for the medical examiner's office work and faster case closures.
