How Does a Georgia Coroner Investigate Cause of Death?
Unlocking the mystery behind Georgia Coroner investigations: Is the truth about a person’s death always evident? Join us as we delve into the intricate process of determining the cause of death, exploring forensic examinations, legal procedures, and the role of the Coroner in safeguarding public health. In this week’s episode, nursing home abuse attorney Rob Schenk welcomes guest Ms. Callihan to talk about demystifying the Coroner’s role in investigating deaths, shedding light on the protocols that impact families seeking closure and accountability.
Schenk:
How do Georgia coroners investigate deaths in a nursing home? Stick around.
Hey out there. Welcome back to the podcast. My name is Rob. I’ll be your host for this episode. We are going to be talking about the involvement of the county coroner’s office here in Georgia. to investigate and pronounce the cause of death after a death occurs in a nursing home. We don’t do that alone.
We’re going to have Miss Rebecca Callahan, the county coroner of Fannin County, Georgia, talk with us about that and what all she does and what all is involved in that process. So terrific conversation. Be sure to stick around for that.
As I mentioned, we are not. talking about this topic alone. We have with us today Becky Callahan. Becky Callahan has proudly served as the Fannin County Coroner for 16 years. Additionally, she holds the position of secretary at the Georgia Coroner Association and serves as the president of the Blue Ridge Kiwanis Club.
With a commendable 26 year tenure as a paramedic firefighter in Fannin County, Becky balances her professional life. with a fulfilling family role, being a devoted wife, mother of three and grandmother to seven. Wow. Becky, welcome to the show.
Callihan:
Thank you.
What Does the Coroner Do?
Schenk:
I get a lot of questions from the public about just what the role of the coroner is when their loved one passes away in a nursing home.
I’m really happy that you came on the show. Maybe we can shed a little bit of light on some of these questions, but just an easy one at the start, who is the coroner and what does the coroner do in general?
Callihan:
The corner is an elected position and All but four or five counties, which is the cab called Gwinnett, have the medical examiner system in a corner. Actually, anybody can qualify to Your name on the ballot.
And so most corners are either in E. M. S. Or in the funeral home business. And I am a paramedic firefighter, right?
Schenk:
You’ve got years and years of experience as a paramedic. So it’s obvious. It’s helpful to have some type of medical background because that’s essentially what you’re doing if you’re making a document or conducting a, at least an investigation that in a broad sense about what happened to the person.
So tell me about in general, and we can get into nursing home stuff in a minute, but what in general, how do you approach each case? What are the typical steps that you undertake?
Callihan:
The corner’s job is determining the cause and manner of death. And so when we receive a call, we automatically start thinking about what is going on with this death.
Is it? Do we think by just our dispatch information is going to be a natural death accident, suicide. And how And we approach each death as if it’s suspicious, that’s the way we’re supposed to do it until we determine otherwise.
How Does the Coroner Investigate Deaths in a Nursing Home Setting?
Schenk:
So let’s walk through a hypothetical then. So let’s say that we’ve, that we have an individual that has left the nursing home unresponsive and then later passes away.
maybe that same day or next day in the hospital never regains consciousness. What is the process by which you’re alerted to that death? And then what do you do next?
Callihan:
That is a reportable death and whatever hospital that a patient went to, it’s supposed to report to the corner or and or medical examiner depending on the County.
Here in my County, right now, we only have a, An emergency room. So everyone else has to be shipped. If they’re going to be admitted, they have to be shipped to another hospital for more intense care. But my hospital calls me on all this. And when they were operating the hospital, they were calling me. We’re supposed to be calling me on all this.
And if somebody is unresponsive and they go into the hospital and die within 23 hours or less, the coroner and or medical examiner is supposed to be contacted.
More details on how a coroner investigates can be found here.
Schenk:
So then what are your next steps? Then you’re contacted by the hospital in this particular situation. Walk me through, what are you doing?
You looking at medical records, you talk to people.
Callihan:
If yeah, that’s if it’s an inpatient, then what we do is subpoena the medical records that are our subpoenas. That’s all there is for medical records, whether it be blood x rays, whatever medical we. Interview the nurses. The nurses took care of this person.
And when we subpoena medical records, they are not subject to open records. So if a family comes back later and says, I want a copy of your report, that’s all they can get. It’s my report that’s in the file. If we need to take pictures if there’s, if the nurse says, Hey, they came in with some bruising and we’re not sure what, this was not reported from the nursing home.
They didn’t report falls or anything. Then we go out and start taking pictures of the decedent just to cover our bases and subpoena the medical records.
Check out the episode about Requesting a Private Autopsy in Georgia.
Schenk:
And I’m sure that every county is different, but that’s very labor intensive. Like what kind of staff do you guys have in Fannin County for this?
Callihan:
I have four deputies and so there’s five including me and we do a calendar once a month. Everybody takes calls. We’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Are There Red Flags That Prompt a More Detailed Investigation After a Nursing Home Death?
Schenk:
You had mentioned that if there’s bruising on somebody that’s came from a nursing home or maybe passed away in a nursing home, that might be a red flag.
Are there Any other characteristics of a nursing home death that might be a red flag for you to, okay, let’s, we’re definitely not just subpoena records, but let’s send us, let’s send a deputy down to talk other kind of what are some of those things that you might look for as the corner malnourished.
Callihan:
Of course, bruising fractures that are not documented or they’re documented, but we’re getting one story, but the bruising and the fractures are not adding up to what we’re getting. But if we suspect some type of abuse or neglect, then what we have to do then is get an investigator involved. And then when the investigator says, Yeah, I think we have something here.
Then I would contact the medical examiner and say, Hey I’ve been in contact with the investigator. This is who I’ve been talking to. We’ve discussed and this is what you know our feelings are and then the medical examiner will review everything and then say I believe it warrants an autopsy.
Check out the episode about Requesting a Public Autopsy in Georgia.
Schenk:
What agency or department is that investigator coming from?
Callihan:
It would be coming from our sheriff’s department.
Schenk:
I see.
Callihan:
Yeah. The CID from our sheriff’s department.
Schenk: So based on what if there’s anything fishy, you get an investigator involved from the sheriff’s department. And then if that investigation holds water, then the next step would be, there’d be an autopsy.
Callihan:
Yes.
For more information on coroner’s procedures and FAQs in Georgia.
How Can Families Contribute to the Investigation After a Nursing Home Death?
Schenk:
In, in, in this process how, or if at all, how can the family be involved to, to possibly help an investigation like this?
Callihan:
The biggest thing is, excuse me, if they’re suspecting something going on with their loved one, they need to start documenting. They need to contact, and this needs to go on before they pass away.
They need to contact go ahead and start talking, contacting the law enforcement and saying, Hey, there’s something not right with mom, dad, my sit, whatever. And let’s get the ball rolling because we have situations where family will come a year, two years, three years later, after the person is either being cremated or buried and say, my mom was in the nursing home and, I really believe something is going on.
Something happened to her, but then. Eight balls because mama’s been cremated. So we have and it’s been a year or more down the road. We need to interview people while everything is still fresh in their mind. And I don’t know if it’s because people are afraid because their loved one is in the nursing home, if there’s going to be repercussions, because There’s been a report and they’re afraid of that.
I don’t know, but if they feel something is wrong, they need to start an investigation before the person passes away.
Schenk:
Yeah. The fear of retaliation is a strong one with families of nursing home residents. So I guess what I understand you to say is that During your investigative process, when you have deputies involved in your subpoena records, it’s okay that the family reaches out to the coroner’s office to give their statement.
Callihan:
That’s I’ve actually had two or three in the last couple of years. Somebody dies here in our nursing home and they’re not in hospice. My office, once someone does respond we take pictures just like it was, we’re going to a scene. We take our pictures, we subpoena the medical records, we talk to the nurses.
And there’s been two or three times where even the staff would whisper to us that something’s not right here. We’ve seen this, we’ve seen that and they, of course, they’re whispering to us. So we don’t involve them because they’re, they have to get a paycheck. And then there’s times there’s family members said, I know they’re dead, but this is what we’ve seen.
And this is even what we’ve been told. So we actually got our nursing home actually in our city limits. So we would contact If it had, if we’re going to the nursing home, we’ll contact the Blue Ridge police department investigator and say, Hey, these are suspicions that, they’ll, and we’ll do the same if it was the sheriff’s department and go over the medical records and everything, and then contact the medical examiner.
So we’ve actually had, I think maybe three descendants and one had already been transported to a funeral home. So we have to call me in and say don’t. And bombs don’t do anything because we need to contact the medical examiner and see where we need to go with this.
Check out the episode about Requesting a Georgia Autopsy After a Nursing Home Death.
Schenk:
I think it’s really refreshing that you approach the passing of a person in a nursing home or an acute care facility after being in a nursing home.
They’re all suspicious because I feel like in some counties in Georgia it’s a medical issue. If they’ve passed away in a hospital, I’m sure that it’s for medical reasons. And the default is not suspicious. The default is it is what it is. So it’s really nice that you have that position.
So I guess my question would be then, and from a broad standpoint, if your deputies are going out or a deputy is going out to talk to nurses it’s not default. We just assume that it’s a medical issue that the nursing home could potentially be adverse. So you’re going in with that mindset, would that be a fair statement?
Yes. Okay. So typically if it’s not just a matter of subpoena in the records, you want to send a deputy out, how long does that, how long does it take usually in general either before you call it. or before you want to get an investigator involved? Is that days, weeks?
Callihan:
Oh, no, it has to be pretty quick because the body is our evidence.
We need to get something going. And if the medical examiner wants to see the body and we can’t wait two or three weeks, we need to get them to the medical examiner as quickly as possible. Family, or if even the staff at the nursing home has some kind of issue and something suspicious, they need to contact their corner as soon as possible.
It’s even before the body is removed from that nursing home. Somebody needs to be there investigating that death.
Schenk:
So when you’re, I guess the subpoena comes from your office. Do you ever have any pushback on the subpoenas to, to hospitals or nursing homes like in, in Fannin County?
Is there ever an issue of you’re not entitled to everything that you want? Are there ever times where you want something and they won’t give it to you like an incident report?
Callihan:
Occasionally, for records and they’re not subject to open records, but by law, they’re not supposed to hold anything back in a death investigation.
But occasionally they want to buck on it and think they know more than the law. I’ve had that a couple of times, I know people in Fannin County, so I make a phone call or two and then that’s resolved. But it has happened.
Schenk:
I see. Okay. Ms. Callahan, you’ve been in Fannin County.
I get, you mentioned Blue Ridge. Like I know that for anybody that’s listening outside of Georgia, Georgia has about 3000 counties. So Fannin County is North, the Northeast, right? You’re.
Callihan: We’re a hundred miles North of Atlanta in the mountains. Yeah. We’re a little, we’re a little tourist town.
Schenk:
Okay.
You’ve been the corner there for 16 years and you’re running for reelection. Is there anything that you want to say?
Callihan:
Please vote for Becky Callahan. No, I love the job and I’m blessed to do it. A lot of people ask me, how do you do this job? Cause you’re dealing with death and you’re dealing with the loved ones who don’t have their loved ones.
to take their anger out on. So sometimes they take it out on the corner because, and then later I’ll get a phone call and say, Hey, I apologize. I was upset and I totally got it. I’ve been there. And I tell everybody when I have a death I have to lay it at the Lord’s feet and leave it there.
I can’t dwell on it because it’s hard, even if I’m not related. And I didn’t know the person. It’s still hard because I’m dealing with a family who’s very upset. And I understand I’ve been there.
Schenk:
Yes. That’s pretty powerful. Because you’re dealing with that day after day and it’s, I’m sure it’s difficult to separate the job that you have to do from the fact that you’re dealing with a family that’s grieving every single day of your job.
Callihan:
I’ve been here all my life. So I’m either, if I’m not related to you, then I grew up with you. But so it is hard. And then also being a paramedic Almost 30 years. A lot of these people that I go to do death investigations on, I’ve already been to their house possibly, with caring for their loved one in the ambulance.
So it does help me, especially in my death investigation because I already have a rapport with the deceased and the family.
Check out the episode about Suing a Georgia Nursing Home for Wrongful Death.
Schenk:
What made you decide to leap from helping people as a paramedic to helping people as the corner of Fannin County, the desire.
Callihan:
I’m still a paramedic.I work every third day on the ambulance.
Schenk:
Oh, wow. Okay. You’re really putting in the time. Okay.
Callihan:
Yeah. The corners in the state of Georgia, except for maybe a couple of counties, it’s considered part time.
Callihan:
So, working on the ambulance actually is what pays my bills.
Schenk:
I see.
Callihan:
Labor love then.
Schenk:
I didn’t know that. This is why I do this podcast..
Callihan:
Okay. And I do get a little salary for being a corner, but like I said, being a paramedic firefighter is what pays my bills. But even if I’m in the ambulance, I’m still the County coroner and I still get phone calls and handle business at the fire department, so I carry a County phone. People can call me anytime they want.
Schenk:
I hear you. We thank you for your service both ways there, Ms. Callahan. That’s fantastic. And we really appreciate you coming on the show, enlightening us on how the death investigation works, at least through the coroner’s office. Really appreciate you coming on.
Callihan:
You’re very welcome.
Schenk:
All right, folks, I hope that you found this episode interesting. I hope you found it informative. I know that I learned a few things that I didn’t know before, and I guess that’s the whole point of this. New episodes of the Nursing Home Abuse Podcast come out every Monday, wherever you get your podcasts from, as well as YouTube and on our website.
For more information on legal options, visit our page on Georgia Nursing Home Wrongful Death Law.