Date:	May 08, 2008
To:	Mr. Mark Maslowski, County Executive Mr. O. Philip Idsvoog, Chairman, Portage County Board Members, Public Protection Committee News Media Any Interested Party
From:	Scott Rifleman, EMT-P, ABMDI Coroner, Portage County, WI
Subject:	Annual Coroner's Report, 2007

The Portage County Coroner's Office is pleased to present its complete annual activity report for 2007. The purpose of this report is to better acquaint the reader with the activities of this office and to provide a statistical base for past and future use.

The coroner's office provides a required service to the Portage County community under state statues. In fulfilling these statues, we accomplish the coroner's role of determining the cause and manner of death so as to guard our communities public health and welfare. Further, it is the goal of this office to aid the survivors of a sudden death. We begin their grieving process and help them to understand the loss of their loved one. To serve the living is the true product of our efforts.

A continuing concern, as noted in last years report, is the number of accidental drug overdose deaths being investigated. Over the past 26 months we have investigated 14 deaths of younger, other wise healthy persons from poly-drug overdoses. Because of this trend, Chief Jeff Morris and I have formed a sub-committee of the Justice Coalition to look into the concern. Drug Investigators Detectives Josh Ostrowski, John Lawrynk, and I have met and are continuing to meet with the medical professionals in our community in an attempt to curb the access to prescription drugs. Hopefully, the actions of all will curb and slow down the deaths from prescription drug abuse in Portage County.

I am, also, pleased to announce that Chief Deputy Tracey Kujawa and Deputy Paul Mattlin have written and passed the national board exam and are now Board Certified Medicolegal Investigators through the American Board Of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI).

I hope this report will better acquaint you with our activities. Please feel free to contact this office if you have any questions.

 

Portage County Coroner's Office 2007

Staff:	Coroner - Scott Rifleman, EMT-P
		Diplomat, American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
	Chief Deputy Coroner - Tracey Kujawa, EMT-P
		Diplomat, American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
	Deputy Coroner's:
		Paul Mattlin, EMT-P
		Erick Przybylski, EMT-P
		Mark Schoeberle, EMT-P
		Gary Koehmstedt, Investigator
Consulting Staff:	Pathologists, St. Michael's Hospital
		Dr. Lloyd Arnold
		Dr. Jason Heese
		Dr. Sabine Hale
	Forensic Pathologists
		Dr. Robert Huntington, III
		Dr. Michael Stier
		Dr. Michael Corliss
	Forensic Odontologist
		Dr. Donald Simley
Services Utilized:	St. Michael's Hospital
		Morgue
		Labratory
		Radiology
	State Laboratory of Hygiene - Madison
	State Crime Laboratory - Madison, Wausau
	Wisconsin State Historical Society
		Dr. Leslie Eisenburg, Forensic Anthropologist
	DNA Forensic Specialists
	Autopsy Suites
		St. Michael's Hospital
		Veterans Administration Hospital - Madison
		Dane County Coroner's Office

Portage County Coroner's Office
Portage County, WI

Annual Report & Statistics
2007

 

Scott Rifleman, Coroner
Tracey Kujawa, Chief Deputy Coroner

GENERAL STATISTICS

Total deaths in Portage County		395
	Male	239
	Female	265
Portage County residence that died in other counties		109
Out of county residences that died in Portage County		37
Final dispositions of the dedeceased reviewed by the coroner's office		395
Deaths reported to the coroner's office for review and investigation		215
Deaths reported to coroner pursuant to s.979.01 WI.statues		95
Cremation permits issued pursuant to s.979.10		165
Autopsies performed		12
Local		7
	Dr. Lloyd Arnold	1
	Dr. Jason Heese	1
	Dr. Sabine Hale	4
	Dr. Kurt Reed (Marshfield)	1
Forensic		5
	Dr. Michael Stier	1
	Dr. Robert Huntington, III	3
	Dr. Michael Corliss	1
Number of cases per investigator:
Scott Rifleman, Coroner		97-571 hrs
Tracey Kujawa, Chief Deputy Coroner		33-128 hrs
Paul Mattlin, Deputy Coroner		30-108 hrs
Erick Przybylski, Deputy Coroner		29 - 86 hrs
Gary Koehmstedt, Deputy Coroner		26 - 98 hrs
Total hours of investigation		991 hours
CAUSE OF DEATHS BY CLASIFICATION:
NATURAL DEATH		171
Aneurism		1
Aspiration		2
Alzheimers Like Dementia		11
Chronic Obstructed Pulmonary Disease		10
Cardiac - arrythmia		3
Cardiac - myocardial infarction		33
Cardiomyopathy		4
Congestive Heart Failure		9
Cerebral Vascular Accident		10
Cancer		43
Dehydration / Malnutrition		1
Diabetis		2
Gastro - intestinal hemorrhage		3
Ischemic bowl		3
Leukemia		1
Liver Failure		2
Multisystems failure		1
Multiple sclorosis		2
Pneumonia		5
Pulmonary emboli		1
Pulmonary Fibrosis		3
Renal failure		2
Respiratory failure		3
Sepsis		7
ASHD		5
Anoxic Encephalopathy		1
Cerebal Palsy		1
Sleep Apnea		2
HOMICIDE		0
SUCIDE		9
Firearms		4
Drug Overdose		2
Hanging		1
Ingestion caustic substance		1
Drowning		1
Sex:
	Male	8
	Female	1
Age Group:
	0-9	0
	10-20	1
	21-30	1
	31-40	2
	41-50	2
	51-60	3
	61-70	0
	71-80	0
	81-90	0
	91-100	0
	100+	0
Blood Alcohol Results:
	Drinking >.08gm%	3
	Intoxicated >=.08gm%	2
TRAFFIC RELATED		8
Motor Vehicle - Driver		3
Motor Vehicle - Passenger		4
Motorcycle - Driver		1
Sex:
	Male	4
	Female	4
Age Group:
	0-10	0
	11-20	4
	21-30	2
	31-40	0
	41-50	0
	51-60	1
	61-70	1
	71-80	0
	81-90	0
	91-100	0
	100+	0
Blood Alcohol Results On Drivers:
	Negative. =.00 gm%	0
	Drinking .<.08 gm%	2
	Intoxicated. >=.08 gm%	2
ACCIDENTAL		27
	Falls	10
	Falls From Height	2
	Environmental	1
	Drug Overdose	7
	Drowning	2
	House Fire	2
	Alcohol Overdose	1
	Suffocation	2
Sex:
	Male	16
	Female	11
Age Group:
	<1 year	0
	01-10	1
	11-20	1
	21-30	5
	31-40	4
	41-50	1
	51-60	3
	61-70	1
	71-80	1
	81-90	6
	91-100	4
	100+	0
LOCATION OF DEATHS
St. Michael's Hospital		41
Stevens Point Care Center		21
Portage County Health Care Center		9
St. Josephs Convent		0
TOWNSHIPS
Alban		2
Almond		0
Amherst		0
Belmont		2
Buena Vista		2
Carson		5
Dewey		1
Eau Pleine		0
Grant		6
Hull		3
Lanark		4
Linwood		0
New Hope		2
Pine Grove		6
Plover		4
Sharon		7
Stockton		6
VILLAGES:
Almond		1
Amherst		2
Amherst Junction		2
Junction City		0
Nelsonville		1
Park Ridge		5
Plover		14
Rosholt		1
Whiting		7
Stevens Point		54
OUT OF COUNTY
St. Josephs Hospital		4
Aspirus Hospital		0
Riverview Hospital		1
Out of County		1
FUNERAL HOMES
Boston Funeral Home		53
Pisarski/Dzikoski		57
Shuda Funeral Chapel		48
A. J. Holly & Son's		13
Gasperic Funeral Home		4
Voie Funeral Home		1
Martin/Kundinger Funeral Home		7
Out of area funeral home		12
Body Donation		1
Creamation Society of Wisconsin		2
Leikness/Stahl Funeral Home		5
Ritchey Funeral Home		6
Taylor/Vollert/Jennings		4
Schmidt/Schulta Funeral Home		1
Maple Crest - Waupaca		1

Vital Statistics Annual Report
2007

Births
	Male	446
	Female	417
	Twins	9 Sets
	Total Births Occurred in Portage County	616
	Residents Born in Other Counties	247
	Out of County Residents Born in Portage County	89
Deaths
	Male	239
	Female	265
	Total Deaths Occurred in Portage County	395
	Residents Died in Other Counties	109
	Out of County Residents Died in Portage County	37
Marriages
	Re-Marriages	131
	Total Marriages Occurred in Portage County	419