Commissioners, hospital disagree on $4,163 expense
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Highland County commissioners and Highland District Hospital remain at odds over an invoice of more than $4,000 related to disinterment, autopsy, and re-interment of a Highland County man's remains, following his Oct. 30, 2010 death.
On Dec. 22, the board of commissioners sent the following letter to Highland District Hospital CEO James Baer.
Dear Mr. Baer:
Enclosed please find an invoice for $4,163.75 from Highland County for expenses incurred due to the failure of your staff to notify the Coroner of a death on Oct. 30, 2010. On that date, (an individual) was transported to your facility, where he ultimately was pronounced deceased. Your records clearly indicate knowledge of (his) motor vehicle accident on Sept. 20, 2010, with the intervening period devoted to his recovery, and your records acknowledge discussion with Dr. Gunderman about signing the death certificate.
According to ORC 313.12 (A), "When any person dies as a result of violent means, by casualty regardless of the circumstances, the physician called in attendance ... who obtains knowledge thereof arising from the person's duties, shall immediately notify the office of the coroner of the known facts concerning the time, place, manner and circumstances of the death, and any other information that is required pursuant to sections 313.01 to 313.22 of the Revised Code."
Highland District Hospital did not notify the coroner prior to (the individual's) embalmment and burial. Ultimately, the consequences of this oversight led to expenses for his disinterment, autopsy, and re-interment. Under these circumstances, it is the opinion of the Highland County Board of Commissioners that Highland District Hospital is responsible for the expenses incurred in this matter. The taxpayers of Highland County should not be burdened with the cost.
The letter was signed by Shane Wilkin, Thomas Horst and Gary Heaton.
At the commissioners' Jan. 19 meeting, the following response from HDH CEO Jim Baer was released.
Dear Commissioners:
I am in receipt of your letter dated Dec. 22, 2010, requesting payment for expenses incured due to the death of (a former local resident). (The deceased's) motor vehicle accident occurred on Sept. 20, 2010. Following treatment at a major medical center, he was transferred to a local nursing home. He was brought into the Highland District Hospital (HDH)
Emergency Department from the nursing home on Oct. 30, 2010. He was coding at the time of admission and subsequently died.
There was a 40-day lapse from the time of the motor vehicle accident to the time of death. Therefore, it was determined by the attending physician, Michael Turner, M.D., and the family physician, David Gunderman, M.D., that the cause of death was not imminent to the motor vehicle accident and an autopsy was not warranted. Accordingly, both physicians and HDH believe statue O.R.C. 313.12(A) was followed, and Highland District Hospital should not be required to pay the expenses incurred for exhuming the body and subsequent autopsy.
Wilkin said this week that Baer's letter has been referred to Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey for review.
• In other correspondence this week, commissioners of Adams, Brown, and Highland counties received the following letter regarding 2011 Ohio State University Extension services.
We are pleased that we were able to come to agreement on a workable plan to allow us to jointly support OSU Extension programming in Adams, Brown and Highland counties and look forward to maintaining a strong working relationship with you as we find new methods and strategies to deliver programs for the citizens of this multi-county area.
It is reassuring to know that in spite of the tough economic decisions that you must make that you value the services provided to your citizens by Extension and were willing to work together to find a way to maintain an office in each county for the coming year. You have agreed to share the services of educators who will continue to provide educational programming in the areas of Family Consumer Sciences and Agriculture and Natural Resources for the three counties and maintain a full-time 4-H Youth Development professional in each of your counties. We are happy that we could work with you and will also do our part to assure that this partnership benefits clientele in all three counties.
Sincerely,
Kevin L. Smith, Associate Vice President, Agricultural Administration; Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Director, Ohio State University Extension and Gist Chair in Extension Education and Leadership.
In other action, commissioners passed the following resolutions, all by 3-0 votes.
• The authorization of the December 2010 mandated distribution of Child Support Enforcement Agency Administrative Account funds to the Public Assistance Account as follows: from Child Support, Reimbursement to Public Assistance in the amount of $7,821.68.
• The authorization of a modification to Youth Services budget as follows: from Contracts-Group Homes to Community Service for $5,000.
Highland County commissioners and Highland District Hospital remain at odds over an invoice of more than $4,000 related to disinterment, autopsy, and re-interment of a Highland County man's remains, following his Oct. 30, 2010 death.
On Dec. 22, the board of commissioners sent the following letter to Highland District Hospital CEO James Baer.
Dear Mr. Baer:
Enclosed please find an invoice for $4,163.75 from Highland County for expenses incurred due to the failure of your staff to notify the Coroner of a death on Oct. 30, 2010. On that date, (an individual) was transported to your facility, where he ultimately was pronounced deceased. Your records clearly indicate knowledge of (his) motor vehicle accident on Sept. 20, 2010, with the intervening period devoted to his recovery, and your records acknowledge discussion with Dr. Gunderman about signing the death certificate.
According to ORC 313.12 (A), "When any person dies as a result of violent means, by casualty regardless of the circumstances, the physician called in attendance ... who obtains knowledge thereof arising from the person's duties, shall immediately notify the office of the coroner of the known facts concerning the time, place, manner and circumstances of the death, and any other information that is required pursuant to sections 313.01 to 313.22 of the Revised Code."
Highland District Hospital did not notify the coroner prior to (the individual's) embalmment and burial. Ultimately, the consequences of this oversight led to expenses for his disinterment, autopsy, and re-interment. Under these circumstances, it is the opinion of the Highland County Board of Commissioners that Highland District Hospital is responsible for the expenses incurred in this matter. The taxpayers of Highland County should not be burdened with the cost.
The letter was signed by Shane Wilkin, Thomas Horst and Gary Heaton.
At the commissioners' Jan. 19 meeting, the following response from HDH CEO Jim Baer was released.
Dear Commissioners:
I am in receipt of your letter dated Dec. 22, 2010, requesting payment for expenses incured due to the death of (a former local resident). (The deceased's) motor vehicle accident occurred on Sept. 20, 2010. Following treatment at a major medical center, he was transferred to a local nursing home. He was brought into the Highland District Hospital (HDH)
Emergency Department from the nursing home on Oct. 30, 2010. He was coding at the time of admission and subsequently died.
There was a 40-day lapse from the time of the motor vehicle accident to the time of death. Therefore, it was determined by the attending physician, Michael Turner, M.D., and the family physician, David Gunderman, M.D., that the cause of death was not imminent to the motor vehicle accident and an autopsy was not warranted. Accordingly, both physicians and HDH believe statue O.R.C. 313.12(A) was followed, and Highland District Hospital should not be required to pay the expenses incurred for exhuming the body and subsequent autopsy.
Wilkin said this week that Baer's letter has been referred to Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey for review.
• In other correspondence this week, commissioners of Adams, Brown, and Highland counties received the following letter regarding 2011 Ohio State University Extension services.
We are pleased that we were able to come to agreement on a workable plan to allow us to jointly support OSU Extension programming in Adams, Brown and Highland counties and look forward to maintaining a strong working relationship with you as we find new methods and strategies to deliver programs for the citizens of this multi-county area.
It is reassuring to know that in spite of the tough economic decisions that you must make that you value the services provided to your citizens by Extension and were willing to work together to find a way to maintain an office in each county for the coming year. You have agreed to share the services of educators who will continue to provide educational programming in the areas of Family Consumer Sciences and Agriculture and Natural Resources for the three counties and maintain a full-time 4-H Youth Development professional in each of your counties. We are happy that we could work with you and will also do our part to assure that this partnership benefits clientele in all three counties.
Sincerely,
Kevin L. Smith, Associate Vice President, Agricultural Administration; Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Director, Ohio State University Extension and Gist Chair in Extension Education and Leadership.
In other action, commissioners passed the following resolutions, all by 3-0 votes.
• The authorization of the December 2010 mandated distribution of Child Support Enforcement Agency Administrative Account funds to the Public Assistance Account as follows: from Child Support, Reimbursement to Public Assistance in the amount of $7,821.68.
• The authorization of a modification to Youth Services budget as follows: from Contracts-Group Homes to Community Service for $5,000.
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