Former coroner joins team as East Idaho Forensic Pathology Center moves forward

POCATELLO — Bannock County has enlisted the services of a former coroner with nearly two decades of experience as the county moves forward in the development of the East Idaho Forensic Pathology Center.

Dotti Owens was hired by the county on Jan. 3 to serve as a consultant in the development and launch of the pathology lab.

She brings 16 years of experience in the field, the last eight of which she served as the Ada County Coroner. Owens is certified by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigations and holds a master’s degree in criminal justice.

“Her involvement will not only help this project move faster, but she’ll bring a level of expertise and knowledge above and beyond what we currently have,” Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Hough said in a news release.

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Owens spoke with EastIdahoNews.com about the advantages of adding a second autopsy lab in the state.

“Right now, Ada County serves 33 counties with forensic services,” she said. “With the growth that we’ve been experiencing, I really feel like it is time to make this move.”

There are three significant advantages, she said: lightening the workload on the Boise pathology center, limiting the travel and cost for eastern Idaho counties when an autopsy is required and aiding in the state’s efforts to operate to national standards.

According to Owens, a forensic pathologist is allowed to conduct up to 250 autopsies per year. There are currently three pathologists in the state — working out of its lone lab, in Boise — who split an average of around 680 autopsies each year.

A second lab, and fourth pathologist, will drastically lighten the workload. Owens said that the goal of the East Idaho Forensic Pathology Center is to conduct 100 autopsies over its first 12 months of operation.

Once operational, the East Idaho Forensic Pathology Center will cover 17 counties in eastern Idaho, Owens said.

This means that coroners will not be required to transport a body in need of autopsy all the way to Ada. Rather, the Teton County Coroner for example, will have a four-hour roundtrip to and from Pocatello instead of an 11-hour roundtrip to and from Boise.

The combination of increased opportunity and decreased travel time and cost will allow county coroners to increase the number of autopsies they attend, something the state needs to do to maintain national standards according to Owens.

“It’s going to allow us to autopsy the cases that should be autopsied but aren’t being autopsied because (the coroner) can’t find coverage for the county, the travel time and the cost associated,” Owens said. “I really think that this is going to open the door for eastern Idaho, all the jurisdictions in that area, to be able to start meeting our standards.”

Owens said she expects the East Idaho Forensic Pathology Center to begin conducting autopsies by the end of March.

“Obviously, we aren’t going to have a designated forensic facility (at that point), but we are working with Portneuf (Medical Center) and we are going to be utilizing some of their space,” she said.

There are still numerous checkpoints the lab must reach before it can get to that point, however. The main one being the hiring of a pathologist.

The hiring process, Owens said, will lead Bannock County outside of the state — because the only three doctors licensed to conduct autopsies are currently employed in Ada County.

Before even that stage can begin, though, Owens has been tasked with developing policy and procedure guidelines for the office. As she explained, her duties as the county’s consultant are all-encompassing — including another current task: designing an office logo.

“We’re started from ground zero,” she said. “I’m helping with every single aspect of this facility, from the ground up.”

While the pathologist position will be filled outside of the state, Owens is hopeful that a partnership with Idaho State University will create an employment pool.

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Owens would like to fill positions in need of filling on day one, like lab technicians and administrators, from ISU talent. Additionally, Owens is in discussions with the university about forming an internship program with the lab.

“That opens the door for future hiring, so as Bannock County grows and that facility grows and there’s a need for more forensic techs, we’ll be able to hire from that internship pool that we’ve created.”

Finally, Owens will take the lead on the accreditation process.

Owens was one of just six coroners in the nation to be dually accredited through the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners and the National Association of Medical Examiners. Accreditation through national organizations, she explained, is important for the growth of the East Idaho Forensic Pathology Center.

“It’s important in court, it’s important for the ability to write grants,” she said.

“I have a lot of ideas to make this a first-rate facility that’s equipped to effectively serve the region’s needs,” she said in a news release. “I’m excited to work together to make this an asset eastern Idaho can be proud of.”