Residents of Cuyahoga County have probably driven by the office of the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner located on Cedar Avenue, at the intersection of University Circle, and wonder what happens there. Or they learn that a body “had to go to the coroner’s office,” and don’t understand why. If you fall into either of these categories, then you are a prime candidate for the Citizens Academy, offered twice yearly by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner.
You must be 21 years of age; a resident of Cuyahoga County; have no felony convictions; be able to pass a background check; and most importantly, have an interest in forensic science. There is no cost for the program for those who qualify.
The Citizens Academy is a twelve-week program that meets on consecutive Thursday evenings from 6-8pm at the office of the County Medical Examiner. Participants are selected by the staff and for the latest class, 368 people applied. I was fortunate enough to be selected.
When Cuyahoga County adopted its charter form of government in 2010, the elected office of county coroner was abolished and replaced by an appointed medical examiner. The county’s first and current medical examiner is Dr. Thomas Gilson, MD, who in addition to being a physician is a trained forensic pathologist, a requirement for the position.
His office employees over 100 people who, in addition to the traditional role of conducting autopsies, investigate crime scenes where a death has occurred; conduct investigations to determine the cause of death when a person dies in Cuyahoga without an attending physician or in cases of homicides or suicide; analyze drugs; do DNA testing and a variety of other services that assist not only law enforcement but all the citizens of Cuyahoga County. The office also has internships and fellowships to train professionals in the fields of forensic medicine, an area of expertise that is in great demand nationwide.
The program is run by two dynamic individuals, Christopher Harris who is the External Affairs Manager for the Medical Examiner, and Mindy Naticchioni, who is also the director of the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter. Highly professional, they were always respectful of deceased individuals who were subjects of discussions and demonstrations, while also being careful that all participants were comfortable when images were graphic. They also made the program interesting and believe it or a very enjoyable experience.
Caveat: This is not an experience for the faint of heart. The first session involved a tour of the receiving room where 8 or 10 newly deceased people were in plain view. If you are one of those people who are “freaked out by dead people,” this is not for you. During the instruction there were lots of photos of people on various stages of decomposition, which some people may find difficult to handle. In another class we were shown how fingerprints are taken from a deceased person.
Participants have the option of attending an autopsy, which is outside the usual time frame of the academy. The one I attended was on a Tuesday morning and took about two hours. Some people opted out.
Participants are not given the name of the person who is the subject of the autopsy, just a general description. The case I witnessed was a middle-aged white female from another county who had died of suspected overdose. I learned that Cuyahoga County does autopsies for several surrounding counties because of the sophistication of its facilities. This is a source of income for the medical examiner’s office.
I chose to watch the autopsy from a distance — which meant I watched the forensic pathologist and her assistant perform their duties from the far corner of the room. Other participants wanted to have a more hands-on experience and a closer view. Those participants passed around the organs of the deceased, took the opportunity to view the procedure just inches away from the deceased and get very up close and personal. Great for them. It wasn’t my thing.
My class was heavily female. There were only four men out of a class of 38 and of the four, three were in the company of their wife or female significant. The average age was about 50, with about a third of the people either retired or nearing the end of their careers. Participants’ backgrounds varied; many had some background in medical fields, law enforcement or were just curious. Several said that they had applied several times before being accepted.
Each week, the program focuses on a specific topic ranging from forensic pathology, toxicology, death investigations, fingerprint analysis, drug chemistry, trace evidence and epidemiology. The lectures were comprehensive and frequently hands-on, with demonstrations in various labs at the facility. This allowed us to tour the building, which appears to be state-of-the-art and very high tech.
Participants are given detailed explanations of how the highly skilled and professional staff conducts death investigations to determine the cause of death. The staff, some of whom are on call 24/7, often face harrowing and sometimes dangerous situations.
In the final weeks of the class, groups of students were given mock crime scenes where bodies (dummies) were positioned in rooms that looked like real crimes scenes. Based on what we had learned in the earlier classes, students had to determine the cause of death. And most groups came up with the right conclusion.
I commend Dr. Gilson and his staff and County Executive Chris Ronayne for funding this program and providing this highly informative service to residents of Cuyahoga County. Roughly 2,000 people have gone through the program since it was instituted, and applications are being accepted for the next program. And here’s the link if you are interested.
C. Ellen Connally is a retired judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court. From 2010 to 2014 she served as the President of the Cuyahoga County Council. An avid reader and student of American history, she is a former member of the Board of the Ohio History Connection, and past president of the Cleveland Civil War Round Table, and is currently vice president of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission. She holds degrees from BGSU, CSU and is all but dissertation for a PhD from the University of Akron.
One Response to “The Citizens Academy of the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner By C. Ellen Connally”
Mel Maurer
Thanks Ellen. An interesting comprehensive class for sure. Glad you called attention to it