Lisa Kohler, MD - AkronCantonMDNews

After mornings of case evaluation and autopsies, a medical examiner’s afternoons are normally spent reviewing paperwork, communicating with
families and law enforcement personnel, and performing various microscopic studies. Dr. George Sterbenz is shown here reviewing a case with Dr.
Kohler.
PHOTO © SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON
“Not all pathologists enjoy doing autopsies, but I really do. I like
being able to hold that heart in my hands and see the damage that was
caused by that heart attack,” she said. “I enjoy the mental challenge
but I also really enjoy the physical challenge of being able to feel and
touch what was going on inside that person’s body.”
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Dr.Kohler received her medical degree from the Medical College
of Ohio in Toledo. After completing her pathology residency at the
University of Pittsburgh, she went on to fellowship training at the
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. It was
there that she took supplemental training in several specialized areas
including forensic dentistry and forensic anthropology. Armed with
her education and a true passion for her field, Dr. Kohler returned to
her home state in 1998 to join the office that had so inspired her as a
student. Colleagues who had come to know her and her work during
her summer internships were glad to welcome her back.
“It was really a very easy transition when I started as a Deputy
Medical Examiner in the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office,”
said Dr. Kohler. “People in the office knew me and they knew what
to expect.”
Dr. Kohler hit the ground running and quickly moved up the ranks
in her office. By 2000, she was promoted to Chief Deputy Medical
Examiner and a year later became the Acting Chief. In April 2001,
Dr. Kohler became Summit County’s Chief Medical Examiner,
simultaneously fulfilling a lifetime dream and becoming the only
Chief Medical Examiner in a state where all other top county forensic
experts are coroners.
“To be a coroner you have to have a medical degree but, according to
our charter, to be a medical examiner, you have to be a board-certified
forensic pathologist,” explained Dr. Kohler, who pointed out another
difference. Medical Examiners are appointed by the county; coroners
are elected by popular vote. “I don’t have to step away from my duties
every four years and do the things required to maintain a position as
an elected official. I can just continue to concentrate on my work.”
HEAVY WORKLOAD
And there is plenty on which to concentrate. As Chief Medical
Examiner, Dr. Kohler oversees a staff of 22, who perform more than
600 autopsies annually. She spends her days handling cases that range
from the mundane to the sensational.
“Any sudden or unexpected death when the person was in good
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