Richard Jorgensen: Candidate profile for DuPage County Coroner

Republican incumbent Richard Jorgensen and Democrat Gregory Whalen are vying for the DuPage County coroner position in the Nov. 3 general election.

Jorgensen of Wheaton is a retired vascular surgeon who practiced general and trauma surgery before his election as coroner in 2012.

To explore his campaign website, check www.jorgensenmdforcoroner.com.

The Daily Herald asked the candidates to answer a series of questions. Here are Jorgensen's replies.

Q: Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

A: I am running for reelection as coroner because I have the background, experience and leadership necessary to continue to serve the people of DuPage County. I want to build on the progress that has been accomplished, specifically raising the standards of professionalism and national certification for investigative staff, updating the operations and procedures in the office, continuing our work on overdose and suicide prevention and improving our disaster preparedness by implementing lessons learned in the COVID-19 pandemic.

A year ago, no one saw a pandemic on the horizon - yet when it descended on us, we rose to the occasion prepared to address the impacts of COVID-19. I am committed to finding solutions to issues and problems that will arise in the future and look forward to overseeing the work of my staff rendering thorough, independent forensic investigations to determine the truth and ensure that every case of foul play is discovered.

Q: If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?

A: I have organized and modernized the coroner's office raising all operations to national standards for medicolegal death investigations.

For example, when I took office there was neither a policy and procedure manual nor a written disaster plan for the office. I wrote and implemented an extensive policy and procedure manual for staff. I also drafted and implemented a thorough disaster policy. The website, which was four years out of date when I took office, has been completely rewritten under my direction to accommodate transparency and public access to critical information.

I have raised the bar for expectations in this workplace, provided access to continuing education, and required all deputies to be certified for medicolegal death investigation. I also appreciate the difficult work done day in and day out by deputy coroners. Dealing with death and the grief of the survivors is difficult, emotionally taxing work. I have implemented policies within the office to improve mental, emotional and physical wellness, constructive improvement and inclusivity.

Q: What special experience and professional qualifications does a person need to be an effective coroner? What experiences and qualifications do you possess that will provide a foundation for your success in the office?

A: An effective coroner must possess exceptional credentials and broad experience. I am a surgeon with years of experience treating trauma patients. I understand the importance of documenting vital data and accurately reporting the details and circumstances surrounding injury, treatment and death.

My experience in research has enhanced my ability to observe, identify and document unusual trends in deaths, such as reporting to the public and the county board the alarming spike in heroin deaths in 2013, well before it was called the heroin epidemic. More recently, we were among the first to identify that the decline in heroin overdoses was due to the surge in fentanyl use and observe the striking increase in overdose and suicide deaths since the "shelter at home" order.

The coroner must have compassion and understanding. When I and my staff are called upon to investigate a death, we encounter the loved ones of the deceased at one of the most difficult times in their life. We, of course, discharge our duty under the law, but do so with patience, compassion and understanding for the family of the deceased. I hold myself to that standard and have instilled it in my staff.

Q: Describe your position regarding the allocation of resources in the coroner's office. Are personnel allocated as they should be? Are there capital expense or other budgetary items that the office must address, and, if so, how do you propose to address them?

A: The foremost obligation of the coroner's office is to investigate suspicious death and determine the cause and manner of that death. Thus, I have allocated the vast majority of personnel to this task.

COVID-19 has devastated the economy of DuPage County. County officials have been advised that budgets will be cut. The coroner must possess in-depth administrative skills, knowledge of the budget and operations of the office to implement these projected decreases without loss of service to the people who rely on us. My previous experience in business and administration made me well qualified to eliminate the budget deficit I inherited and to administrate this office within the allocated budget.

The coroner's office is housed in an aging facility. Most recently the replacement of an outdated air handling system became of paramount importance with the first COVID-19 deaths. In response, we implemented a plan to completely upgrade the system and provide a safer work environment.

We prepared for the projected increase in deaths and anticipated the need to assist hospitals and funeral directors with dignified storage and examination of the deceased by procuring a mobile morgue.

Q: Describe your position on transparency and public service in the coroner's office and the ease of access to records by the public. If you believe improvements are needed, what are they and how would you go about achieving them?

A: Under my direction, this office now operates with transparency. Our records are available to the public as soon as reports are completed and filed (within the confines of the law).

In the event that a case is subject to a criminal investigation, that case may remain confidential and inaccessible to the public until law enforcement has completed their investigation.

Our financial records are also transparent and available online.

In addition, we have preserved the history and archives of the coroner's office. Those records had been stored on aging microfiche and were in danger of being lost forever due to an unforeseen problem with the permanency of microfiche. We have converted them to electronic records to ensure that these historic records are preserved for future generations.

In short, the work, finances and records of the coroner's office are as transparent and accessible as possible.