Published: Monday, December 19, 2022
LANSING, MI – Sparrow Forensic Pathology Services has released its 2021 annual report on deaths in the five counties (Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella and Shiawassee) in which Sparrow served as Medical Examiner at that time. The report provides detail on manner of deaths, such as drugs, suicide, and homicide, along with historical data for comparison.
The report shows accidental deaths increased since 2017 in part due to drug-related deaths in Ingham, Ionia, and Isabella counties. The number of homicides reported in 2021 increased from 2020 in all but Ionia county.
The report also reveals the generosity of local organ donors in 2021. The Office of the Medical Examiner says referrals to connect families wishing to donate organs and tissue to Gift of Life Michigan were up by 33% across the five counties, saving and healing hundreds of lives despite the continuing challenge of the COVID pandemic.
As the Office of the Medical Examiner, Sparrow is nationally accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners to perform autopsies, postmortem examinations, and on-scene forensic death investigations as an important part of the investigation process. The report, and other Forensic Pathology findings, can be found at Sparrow.org/OMEReports. When you get to the page, click on “Office of the Medical Examiner – 2021 Annual Report.”
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Sparrow is Mid-Michigan’s premier health care organization that includes hospitals in Lansing, Charlotte, St. Johns, Ionia and Carson City as well as Physicians Health Plan, Sparrow Care Network, Sparrow Medical Group, the Michigan Athletic Club, and AL!VE. Sparrow is affiliated with Michigan Medicine through the Sparrow Children’s Center and with Michigan State University’s three human health colleges. Through these partnerships and the dedication of our 10,000 Caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and Patient experience. For more information, visit Sparrow.org.