Saskatchewan鈥檚 Coroner Service investigates sudden, unexpected or unnatural deaths. The ultimate objective of the coroner service is to improve the health, safety and the quality of life for the people living in this province.
Community coroners, or lay coroners, are generally individuals with a background in medical or investigative matters.
鈥淓ssentially, the coroner is a community service,鈥� said Joanne Petersen, the new community coroner for Assiniboia and region.
Petersen ranches with her husband near Michellton 鈥� a hamlet 56.7 kilometres northeast of Assiniboia. She was born and raised in Gravelbourg.
Petersen has been an RN (registered nurse) for 32 years. Her extensive career included acute care, long term care, home care, cruise ship nursing and leadership positions, such as being the past president of the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association. She worked at the Assiniboia Union Hospital for the past six years.
鈥淟eadership is something I鈥檓 comfortable with,鈥� Petersen said, as she outlined some of her principle motivators for making the decision to become a coroner. 鈥淭he coroner directs everything at the scene. We are in charge of the body, which can鈥檛 be moved until we鈥檙e done with our investigation. The coroner is completely independent of the RCMP,鈥� she added.
But a coroner also requires skills in communication, empathy and care. Additionally, a coroner should possess the capacity to produce accurate assessments based on science and medicine 鈥� Petersen developed all of these abilities as an RN. 鈥淏eing a coroner is very similar to nursing,鈥� Peterson pointed out.
The province鈥檚 coroner service operates independently under the direction of the Chief Coroner of Saskatchewan. There are about 80 coroners in Saskatchewan who provide impartial and objective investigations and public inquests into the situations involving sudden, unexpected and unnatural deaths.
Petersen made the decision to became a community coroner as her lengthy career in nursing is drawing to a close. 鈥淚鈥檓 close to retirement for my nursing job,鈥� Petersen said, as she outlined her gradual transition from being a full-time RN to a community coroner 鈥� a part time, on call role.
鈥淭here will be times when I can鈥檛 attend the scene because of conflict of interest, if the deceased has been in my care as an inpatient or in the emergency room in the last 30 days,鈥� Petersen added.
Petersen recently took an intense weeklong training course in Regina, prior to being appointed by the Minister of Justice.
Coroners are responsible for determining the identities of deceased persons 鈥� they detect how, when and where the departed individual died, along with the causes instigating the fatality.
Coroners are also designated to uncover the dangerous practices and conditions leading to the deaths under investigation. Coroners are responsible for educating the public about hazardous practices. Coroners publicize and keep records about the circumstances and causes of death.
Popular television programs such as Coroner on CBC have given the public a surplus of misunderstandings about the roles played by coroners during investigations. Autopsies, for example, aren鈥檛 always required during investigations and are only conducted during specified instances as required.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a general myth: if the coroner is going to be involved, there鈥檚 going to be an autopsy,鈥� Petersen stated.
In conclusion, Petersen recognized Chad Fink, who had previously acted as the coroner for Assiniboia and region.
鈥淐had Fink has done an outstanding job 鈥� he served Assiniboia and area for nearly 10 years,鈥� Petersen acknowledged.
