Saturday, December 16, 2006

Carter Gets A Contract With Coroner

Marion Co. Coroner Kenneth Ackles (D) has made it official. He signed a 5-year contract with controversial forensic pathologist Dr. Joye Carter worth $175,000 a year, with 3% annual increases scheduled. The office is looking to hire more staff directly according to Chief Deputy Coroner Alfie Ballew. She tells the Star:

Officials said they are in discussions with four additional pathologists, including three from Indiana . . .

Ballew said two of the four remaining candidates are forensic pathologists, which means they are trained to perform autopsies in homicide cases and others when the cause of death is unknown.

The other two are anatomic pathologists, she said. Such doctors are allowed to perform autopsies under Indiana law, but Ballew said they wouldn't handle criminal cases, and forensic pathologists would supervise them.

Carter and Ballew said they hoped the new arrangement would allow for better communication, accountability and quicker turnaround in autopsy reports.

The office also will receive large fees paid by more than 20 Central Indiana counties to have Marion County pathologists perform their autopsies. That will pay for supplies and new equipment.

As the story notes, Forensic Pathology Associates of Indiana's contract cost the county about $858,000 annually. The county will soon figure out that it realized no savings from the termination of that contract. As for the fees Ackles thinks he's going to get from performing autopsies for other counties, I would ask why any of those counties would take on Marion Co.'s problems by allowing Carter to perform autopsies for them? Carter is also going to find herself very short-handed, unless new hires are brought on pretty quickly, so she isn't going to be in a position to accept autopsies from other counties.

Note also that the new professionals will be contract employees and not regular employees of the office. Because each will be contracted separately, none of the professionals will be employed by the other as is currently the case. That could pose some serious management issues, particularly since none of the regular employees of the coroner's office is qualified to direct these professionals medically-related activities.

22 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:10 AM EST

    Kenneth Ackles is a disgrace. The Star was right in calling for the resignation of this incompetent fool. Now he hires a "pathologist" who has previously certified he unfitness for service by misconduct in Texas.

    I think it's time to move out-of-county.

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  2. Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out - Goodbye and good riddance !

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  3. Anonymous3:30 PM EST

    Wilson, there is no excuse for "Dr." Ackles's poor performance. I was in Chicago and Detroit this week on business. We are laughing stocks there...they've all read about it.


    Don't even GO there.

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  4. Wilson's not going to be happy until we all live in a socialistic society.

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  5. Dr. Carter was just certified as a competent Indiana professional by the Indiana Licensing Board unanimously. The Hoosier doctors evaluated her credentials and welcomed her as a fully-qualified colleague in this state. Some nameless naysayers here may have other opinions but who can take seriously this whining and carping by hidden and faceless accusers?

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  6. Anonymous9:03 PM EST

    She may have been certified "competent", but not trustworthy, reliable, or respected. Furthermore, there was no one to testify against her. She was granted a license because there was no other choice. So for me, "competent" is not good enough. If I were having major surgery, which is essentially what an autopsy is, I would want the best surgeon in town, not the "competent" one. The citizens of Marion County deserve better.

    Wilson, you are a nincompoop. That's me being nice...I really want to call you lots of other nasty things. But I'll stop at you're just plain f'n stupid.

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  7. Anonymous10:36 PM EST

    Wilson, you are a nincompoop. That's me being nice...I really want to call you lots of other nasty things. But I'll stop at you're just plain f'n stupid.

    LOL!!! For the record that is NOT me posting anonymously.

    Wilson just keep drinking the Carson koolaid it's spiked with gin and Thunderbird and Wild Irish Rose.

    I watched the contract proceedings on Ch. 16 - it appears they have two contracts done so far. One is for Dr. Griggs who will do the "natural causes" and Dr. Carter who is responsible for investigative autopsies.

    And Wilson, just because a doctor becomes certified here doesn't mean anything. She never had her license yanked, she was only fined. It's the old saying "What do you call the person who graduated last in the class in medical school? Doctor." Without her license being revoked previously - which is nearly impossible unless it's egregious conduct - then really the state has no reason NOT to give her a license.

    But the county will pay dearly for liability and malpractice insurance. Yes, the contracts will require the CITY/COUNTY to pay Dr. Carter's malpractice insurance.

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  8. Anonymous10:40 AM EST

    I hate to repeat, but Wilson doesn't seem to get it, and others may not remember, so, apologies, but here goes:

    Several post here anonymously because of the retribution exacted upon them by the power-brokers in Center Township. It can be ruthless, job-risky and personally wretching.

    Their knives are long, and endless. Wilson knows exactly who they are and how they work.

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  9. Anonymous10:44 AM EST

    For the record, we don't investigate "natural deaths". So one doctor designated to post naturals is ridiculous. Furthermore, the puropose of MCCO is to determine the cause/manner of death in any death that is not of natural causes. That means that when a decedent gets an autospy, the doctor may not know ahead of time what the manner of death is. Thus, if the "natural" pathologist posted someone based on the assumption that the death was natural (which is ludicrous because the chances of that individual being brought into the MCCO are slim to none because, I shall reiterate, we don't investigate those deaths) and the death turned out to be from trauma, i.e. homicide, then what happens? This setup is doomed to fail. Which just follows suit with all the previous decisions made by Quackles and his Chief.

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  10. Anonymous10:49 AM EST

    Wilson, to a layperson, you are just as unidentified as the rest of us. So, for benefit, I would like to establish the reason I post anonmously, and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand:

    I work at the Coroner's Office.

    They have already fired other people for NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

    They could fire me for what I post on here.

    Wilson, was that simple enough, or should I not use words with more that two syllables?

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  11. Anonymous12:56 PM EST

    Carter making 175K
    At least two other doctors making 150K/each
    Malpractice insurance x 3 (at least)
    ???
    475 so far
    One "supervisor" 39K
    Three full time deiners 35K
    639 so far
    Two Part time deiners ($12/hour x 20 hours/week) 20K
    Two transcriptionists/assistants 30K
    719K so far
    Attorney fees for "transition" agreement
    ???
    Pathology residents or forensic path fellows???
    Attorney fees for lawsuits from employees

    Not including office supplies, malpractice insurance, health benefits, equipment...seems like the current contract might have been a better deal for citizens of Indy.

    Posting as Anon cause I work there!!

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  12. Anonymous1:47 PM EST

    As for anon postings, keep at it! Don't pay any attention to the ramblings of Wilson. Remember, Deep Throat brought down the President.

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  13. Anonymous6:07 PM EST

    ATTENTION! Roll Call for MCCO Pathology Dept:

    JOYE CARTER, fined in TX for allowing unlicencsed physicians to perform autopsies, hasn't done an autopsy in 4 years because she has been more interested promoting her book and profiting off the tragedies of families nationwide: PRESENT

    ALLEN GRIGGS, practicing MALPRACTICE LAWYER with an MD degree, not a forensic pathologist, not qualified to perform forensic investigations, never completed Forensic Fellowship training, advertises on the internet for MEDICAL MALPRACTICE business: PRESENT.

    FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST #2: not present because no one has been hired.

    FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST #3: not present because no one has been hired.

    By the way, the surrounding counties are feeling really good right now since Ballew and Carter announced their plan to buy new equipment with the "large fees" they will charge for autopsies. Do you hear that Ballew? That's the sound of your credibility going down the toilet. You bring in a new staff and want to furnish MCCO with new stuff and charge US for the bill?

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  14. Anonymous11:23 PM EST

    LAWYER with an MD degree

    Paging Dr. Orenticher, Dr. Orenticher please bail out your 'Rat friends in the Coroner's office.

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  15. Anonymous2:18 AM EST

    Question: Kenneth Ackles, who do you hire when an entire nation of Forensic Pathologists laughs at your office and refuses to transfer to Indiana to work for MCCO?

    www.boclawyers.com

    Answer: Whoever I can get! How do you think we ended up with Joye Carter, who no one else would touch with a ten foot pole?

    www.boclawyers.com

    Question: Quackles, do you think it is a conflict of interest to have a doctor performing autopsies who is also a practicing medical malpractice lawyer in Martinsville?

    www.boclawyers.com

    Answer: Why should it be a problem? This way, he can encourage the decedent's families to sue the hospitals!

    www.boclawyers.com

    Question: Ballew mentioned in her interview with the Star that Allen Griggs would only perform autopsies on "Natural Deaths"--why would a natural death case be referred to MCCO? I thought the Coroner's Office investigated unnatural or suspicious deaths?

    www.boclawyers.com

    Answer: Well, we had to tell her to say something to try to distract the public from who we hired. How's it working so far?

    Question: Quackles, is it true that one of Joye Carter's friends from TX is going to fly in from time to time to do autopsies so that you can say you hired enough pathologists?

    Answer: Well, we never promised the pathologist would actually live in Indiana.

    www.boclawyers.com

    Question: Quackles, have you heard what surrounding counties are saying about your office after your plan was released to the Star today about charging them large fees to fund the new equipment that Joye Carter is demanding?

    www.boclawyers.com

    Answer: Well, we said it was important for Marion County taxpayers to not pay for all of that. Those other dead people owe us, too.

    Just so everyone is clear, here is the new lineup at MCCO Pathology:

    Joye Carter--we all know her past.

    Allen Griggs--Medical malpractice attorney in Martinsville with an MD degree--completed residency in Pathology with no Forensic component. Has an active website encouraging the public to hang those hospitals with malpractice suits. www.boclawyers.com

    Mysterious MD from Indiana Autopsy--the Indiana Tissue Bank. That's right, folks--they harvest tissues. Of course, now that they will be contractors of MCCO and doing autopsies with no supervision, guess the area funeral directors had better do a cornea and heart valve check before embalming from now on...they haven't made this announcement because they know that when they do, the city will most likely light 521 W McCarty St on fire. A tissue bank doing autopsies? That's almost as bad as a medical malpractice lawyer doing autopsies.

    www.boclawyers.com

    Guess Quackles was right--he had a plan. He didn't mention that MCCO would look like the Land of Misfit Toys after 12/19.

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  16. Anonymous12:28 PM EST

    And the CIty County COuncil wants to give this clown, and themselves, a raise?

    Please.

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  17. Anonymous7:47 PM EST

    It's clear, sadly, that the majority of the folks posting here sympathize with the outgoing pathology team, FPAI. Even more likely, the postings are coming from just one bitter, bitter man -- the same man who has been so desperate to keep his job (and his extremely lucrative paycheck), he's been leaking false information left and right to the Star. The man clearly doesn't understand public service -- he only cares about himself. It's going to be very tough for him to get a new job (doesn't have one yet, does he?) when he couldn't figure out a way to communicate and successfully work with his former employer. I've heard that the "donut" counties are actually thrilled that there will finally be a uniform rate (not "large" -- that's what FPAI was known for) for performing their autopsies -- FPAI was gouging them, and all the money they made didn't go to Marion Co., it went straight to their pockets (and they even used Marion Co. equipment to perform those autopsies). Dr. Joye Carter is now licensed in 5 states. Contrary to what a previous poster wrote, she has been conducting autopsies through her solo practice since she left Houston in 2002. The employees in the Coroner's Office who remain loyal to the previous admininstration (the other bitter, bitter folks in this situation) won't have much to say once Dr. Carter is on board. They will be left to their moaning and complaining, while she makes great strides on behalf of the citizens of Marion Co.

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  18. Anonymous9:06 PM EST

    FYI the donut counties are not going to send their bodies to MCCO. No one wants to send their bodies to MCCO because of Dr. Carter's troubled past along with the ignorance of Accles and Ballew. Neither one of them know anything about autopsies. I think Dr. Carter has been fed a line of BS from Accles and Ballew about how fabulous it will be to work here. I hope Carter knows what she is getting into: employees who work a couple hours a day and then watch TV or eat the rest of the day, along with a coroner who never steps foot in an autopsy room. Oh did I mention bodies that disappear and no one knows where they are because of Accles' mismanagement. What else? Evidence lying all over the morgue and storage room with no organizational scheme and ghost employment.

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  19. Anonymous10:27 PM EST

    Interesting. 9:06 seems to go from criticizing the hiring of Dr. Carter to hoping she succeeds, given the supposed circumstances. And, it seems like this falls under the category of more misinformation provided by disgruntled people, with no proof to back it up.

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  20. Anonymous12:11 AM EST

    indiana autopsy IS NOT a tissue bank

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  21. Anonymous10:47 PM EST

    Let me clear something up for all you Ballew fans. Radentz has not been doing the postings. Did you ever think for a second that those of us at IU are fed up with your circus? Has it crossed your mind that there are people at IU who have been sitting back and enjoying the show, watching you hang yourselves. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Regardless, you should all be hiring legal counsel right now, after what's going down in the Grand Jury this week. No one can save your sorry asses now. Just remember, you have the right to remain silent...follow your leader's example--he's been practicing for months now.

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  22. Anonymous10:48 PM EST

    Indiana Autopsy is the Lions Tissue Bank. Ever heard of Billie Elkins? Thanks for playing.

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