Forensic science center opens

Marathon County’s new forensic science center hosted Gov. Tony Evers and several state lawmakers for a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Wednesday, marking the completion of a yearslong effort to establish a regional morgue that will serve much of northern Wisconsin and parts of Michigan.

“We’re a big state,” Gov. Evers told reporters at last week’s event. “For this to serve a good share of northern Wisconsin is really very important.”

Over the past year, in preparation for opening the new facility, the Marathon County medical examiner’s office has been transitioning into a physician-led office that is able to perform forensic autopsies.

Dr. Leah Schuppener, the county’s new chief medical examiner and one of two forensic pathologists hired to run the facility, said having a regional morgue capable of doing forensic autopsies will save many counties in the region from having to transport bodies to places like Madison, Fon du Lac and Milwaukee.

“That would take days and sometimes weeks depending on how busy those physicians were,” she said, referring to the old protocol for handling autopsies.

In the roughly four weeks that the new medical examiner’s office has been operating, Dr. Schuppener said they have performed about 30 exams, most of which have been done at a medical suite at the Marshfield Medical Center in Weston while the new facility was being finished.

Dr. Schuppener said Marathon County is very fortunate to have two forensic pathologists – medical doctors who specialize in examining those who have died non-naturally or under suspicious circumstances. About 700 forensic pathologists are currently practicing nationwide, she said, but it’s estimated that closer to 1,200 are needed to handle caseloads.

A big selling point for the new forensic center is its use as an educational facility for those interested in pursuing careers in forensic pathology, law enforcement, emergency medicine or other health-related fields. The Medical College of Wisconsin and Northcentral Technical College (NTC) are both partnering with the center to provide those opportunities.

“Our hope is that we get more people interested in the field of the forensic pathology, because the need is not just here in Central Wisconsin, it’s national,” said county administrator Lance Leonhard, who emceed last Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and thanked all of the people and organizations who made the forensic center possible, including donors, state and federal lawmakers and the staff at the medical examiner’s office.

Funding for the $14.8 million facility came from a variety of sources, including $7 million from the state, $4.2 million from the county, $1.2 million in donations and $2 million in federal funding recently secured through Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s office. NTC sold land to the county for $400,000, but to offset the purchase price, it agreed to do an equal amount in technology upgrades and IT support as in-kind donations.

Leonhard said the county’s goal is to provide compassionate, professional services for families who have lost a loved one and are looking for answers.

“I think certainly it will help us get answers for families faster,” he said. “We’re not going to have to have law enforcement spend time traveling to southern Wisconsin and waiting four hours for an autopsy.”

When it comes to criminal cases involving wrongful deaths, the forensic center will expedite forensic autopsies often needed to provide a cause of death and other evidence.

State Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) said having a regional morgue in north-central Wisconsin will allow grieving families to get answers quicker than ever before, citing a recent carbon monoxide poisoning as an example of what the facility can do.

“You don’t really understand the importance of something until it’s needed,” she said.

Jessica Blahnik, who previously served as the medical examiner before becoming the center’s new director of operations, has worked for years to make the forensic science center a reality, working with the county’s regional morgue task force to secure funding, build a business model and create policies and protocols for the facility.

“This is a very valuable resource for the community,” she said. “Not only are we able to have a dedicated suite for tissue donation for our donors, we also have an observation area for students interested in forensics, law enforcement or any health care field, who would have the ability to train and learn within the facility.”