Miami Co. Coroner (Rep)

All candidates were asked to answer this question: Within the context of the elected office you are seeking, what is the most important issue facing your community and what would you do to address it?

Bruce O. Nordquist

Bio: Born in Troy in 1933. BSE in 1955. MSE in 1957. MD in 1977 - all at the University of Michigan. Rotating internship in Grand Rapids in 1973. Started General Practice in Troy in 1973. Retired in 2007 and now work for Hospice of Miami County as well as being Coroner and filling in at the local free clinic.

Answer: Because of the existence of daytime only family doctors - plus “hospitalists” for inpatient care, we find the very real problem of a lack of continuity in patient care. Such a situation often results in a less than optimal - or even adverse outcomes to the patients themselves. However, I find both groups unwilling to admit to the reality that they might have some degree of responsibility in these adverse outcomes - plus the existing hospital “review committees” offer little more than lip service to the problem. The other item of note is the existence of impulsive, but unnecessary suicides in the young adult population. Since my entry into this job I have had no less than five such happenings. In retrospect, all of these situations were unnecessary - and leave a permanent sadness in the families involved. Upon discussing the situation with various bereavement counselors, it would appear that only the school system would be in a position to offer some manner of stress management and recognition of such problems. And perhaps the coroner is the only person in a position to make something happen.

Stephen A. Huffman

Bio: I am a life long resident of Miami County. I reside in Tipp City with my wife, Kathryn and our five children. I graduated from Milton Union High School and I received my undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Toledo. I have been a member of the medical staff of Upper Valley Medical Center for eighteen years.

Answer: The Miami County Coroner’s office must be operated in a professional manner which is responsive to the citizens of Miami County. The coroner must interact effectively with law enforcement agencies and funeral directors. The death of a loved one is a traumatic experience for all families. I believe as coroner I will create a professional atmosphere in which law enforcement, funeral directors, and bereaved families receive a timely and compassionate response from the coroner’s office.

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