HJBR Nov/Dec 2023

EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH CORONER’S OFFICE 2022 ANNUAL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS About the Coroner’s Office In the United States of America, there are two systems charged with the jurisdiction to investigate deaths, a medical examiner system or a coroner system. A medical examiner system entails the Office of the Medical Examiner that is an appointed subdivision of state government. Medical examiners are usually forensic pathologists whose job it is to determine the manner and cause of someone’s death. In contrast, coroners are typically elected and do not necessarily need to be medical professionals. Like the medical examiner, coroners are also charged with determining the manner and cause of someone’s death; however, Louisiana has a unique system. In Louisiana, the office of the Coroner is an elected position and it is preferred that the position is held by a medical doctor. What makes Louisiana unique is that along with the responsibility of the death investigation, the Office of the Coroner has two additional jurisdictions: the involuntary committal of the mentally ill and the collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases. Accomplishments Financial Management The approved 2022 operating budget was $3,232,460. The amended 2022 operating budget was $3,466,750. The final 2022 expenditures totaled $3,594,759 with Revenues collected in the amount of $744,268. Investigations In 2022, the Coroner’s Office investigated: • 136 homicides compared to 171 in 2021 • 295 deaths related to overdoses compared to 311 in 2021 • 6 infant deaths related to an unsafe sleeping environment compared to 7 in 2021 • 46 deaths related to suicide in comparison to 57 in 2021 • 104 Motor Vehicle Deaths compared to 78 in 2021 Statistical Information Investigations Type of Investigation 2020 2021 2022 Number of Coroner’s Death Cases 4742 4921 4447 Number of Death Certificates Signed 3857 4016 3668 Number of Bodies Transported 489 541 464 Number of Scene Responses 1268 1387 1279 Number of Toxicology Analysis Performed 929 1003 825 Number of Histology Analysis Performed 67 41 51 Number of Cremation Permits Issued 1974 2157 2071 Number of Pauper Cremations Facilitated 85 74 103 Number of Unidentified Bodies 0 2 1 Number of East Baton Rouge Parish Autopsies 253 298 260 Number of Regional Autopsy Program Autopsies 194 98 24 Number of Exhumations 0 0 0 Number of Sexual Assault Forensic Exams 285 324 381 Total Referrals to LOPA 327 488 428 Total Organ and Tissue Donations 71 65 89 Total of Enhanced Lives from Organ/Tissue 2450 3710 7500 Total Cornea Donations 33 46 37 Continuing Tutorships 11 15 14 HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  NOV / DEC 2023 27