The four counties of Northwest Florida are deciding whether to recommend the reappointment of Dr. Deanna Oleske as District 1 Medical Examiner.
With all counties now weighing in, Escambia County has opted not to offer an opinion. But commissioners in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties say she should keep the job.
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Dr. Oleske was first appointed as Medical Examiner by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021. Now, as her three-year term is set to expire July 1, the four counties in the district have been petitioned for input by the Florida Medical Examiner’s Commission, which will make a recommendation to the governor at their spring meeting in a couple of months.
The Santa Rosa County Commission discussed the matter last week.
“I talked to Sheriff Bob Johnson,” said Santa Rosa Commission Chairman Sam Parker, as he opened the discussion. “And Sheriff Johnson expressed no hesitation at all during that conversation, I feel comfortable in saying, with this board recommending Dr. Oleske continue in her capacity.”
Parker gives weight to the opinion of Santa Rosa Sheriff Bob Johnson, who works closely with the medical examiner's office as the county’s top law enforcement officer. Also, Johnson happens to be a member of the state Medical Examiner’s Commission.
Parker also referenced his own service on the search committee when Dr. Oleske was chosen and said he’s not anxious to go through that again.
“So, I’ll say the same thing I did when she decided to come on board, I appreciate her willingness to serve,” he stated. “This is not one (job) where there’s plenty of people out there. I think they’ve said this is actually the biggest shortage of any occupation that I’ve been drawn attention to in the U.S.”
Three other members of the Santa Rosa County Commission joined Parker in saying they were comfortable rendering a favorable opinion. But Commissioner James Calkins expressed reservations.
“I have my concerns related to stories that I read that had to do with funeral homes,” Calkins began. “There’s plenty of people that could be chosen and I don’t think it’s within our purview, personally, and with that being said, I’m gonna vote no on this or at least ask the board to table this until we get more information.”
Last year, some funeral home directors wrote lettersto Escambia County complaining about the condition of bodies after autopsy and other issues. In response, Dr. Oleske has filed a libel lawsuit against two of them. A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 2.
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Escambia County is not being sued, but the county is in the process of complying with a subpoena for any records and communications on the subject sent or received by some commissioners and the county attorney. The county has filed a motion to throw out the subpoena. But, the County Attorney's office has confirmed that thousands of pages of records already have been provided to Oleske’s attorneys.
Earlier this month, Escambia commissioners were presented with the request for input on the reappointment of Dr. Oleske as medical examiner. But after concluding that she’s still serving on an interim basis, Board Chairman Steven Barry opted not to weigh in.
“I don’t see how it’s a priority of ours when it’s not been made a priority by other people,” Barry said. “So, in my opinion, we don’t have to take any action.”
Commissioner Mike Kohler agreed that, ultimately, the matter is out of their hands.
“I actually looked at Dr. Oleske’s medical record; she has no punitive action. The governor can decide if he wants to appoint her,” said Kohler, who also noted the nationwide shortage of forensic pathologists.
Elsewhere across the region, the Okaloosa County Commission agreed to recommend Dr. Oleske for reappointment as District 1 Medical Examiner, and Board Chairman Paul Mixon says they appreciated being asked.
“Since that position is appointed, it is great to know that our voice is not just heard, but our voice is asked for,” Mixon stated. “Because it's a service that directly relates to our constituents and our guests.”
Mixon said he’s satisfied with Oleske, but acknowledged there have been some challenges, including starting the job during the COVID-19 pandemic and calling attention to the desperate need for more space for the District 1 Medical Examiner’s office located inside Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital.
“She's been through that with us. And now carrying into a new facility that's going to be built in Santa Rosa county, which came as a great partnership between the four counties together from Walton, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa,” he said. “So it gives us this opportunity to be able to put our best foot forward and hopefully move in a direction, that we can see the job done well.”
Mixon notes improved accountability and operation of the ME’s office in recent years, with the four counties coming together to create the non-profit support organization, District One Medical Examiner Services, referred to as DOMES.
“Because with DOMES, we have a representative from each county seated on the board that's making the decisions,” said Mixon, noting that the leadership of Okaloosa’s deputy county administrator, Craig Coffey, who is the current chairman of DOMES. “So, really trying to take a lot of the administrative duties off of the medical examiner, who is there to be the doctor, and allow us as counties to come together and work things out.”
The Okaloosa County Commission voted unanimously for a favorable recommendation.
Walton County was last to weigh in Tuesday afternoon, with no discussion among commissioners before their unanimous vote in favor of Dr. Oleske’s reappointment.
Now the matter is in the hands of the Medical Examiner’s Commission, which is expected to make their recommendation to the governor at their next meeting in May.
