"Greetings from South Orange, NJ, where my journey began! I've always had a passion for adventure, from exploring the wonders of science to traversing the globe, camping beneath the stars, and delving into the endless realm of knowledge.

My academic pursuits led me through the respected halls of Montclair State University, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and a residency at Duke University in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.

But it was during my Forensic Pathology Fellowship at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine that I truly discovered my calling. Pathology, you see, is my sanctuary—a realm where science reigns supreme. As a pathology resident during the challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I embraced the opportunity to become the lead contact tracer for Duke Employee Health, further strengthening my commitment to the field.

I have developed a deep interest in podcasts and books about the Haitian Revolution because my ancestors were among the enslaved Africans brought to the island formerly known as Saint Domingue.

As for the road ahead, my ultimate aspiration is to create an orphanage and school that nurtures young minds, producing a generation of engineers dedicated to making our world a better place.

So there you have it—a snapshot of the path I've traveled and the dreams that guide me. Life is an extraordinary adventure, and I'm thrilled to be along for the ride!"

CDC FHIR Mortality Data Modernization Grant Program

We are excited to announce that we have been awarded $100k in grant funds from the CDC Foundation to participate in a pilot program that aims to engage Medical Examiner and Coroner's Offices in data modernization efforts. Frequently, Medical Examiners are not considered when modernizing data systems, but we are excited to change that.

We are honored to be working with the CDC Foundation, COMEC with the CDC, and Georgia Tech Research Institute to promote the utilization of Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) data standard. Through the FHIR Grant Program, we aim to enhance and standardize the way we are reporting fatal overdoses and violent deaths in our community. Our hope is to provide more timely data exchange to the Georgia Health Department so that resources can be provided to the areas affected most.

The CDC recently sponsored our office to attend the National Association of Medical Examiners’ (NAME) 2023 Annual meeting, where we had the opportunity to educate attendees about our experience with FHIR and how they can implement FHIR and data modernization at their office.

NAME 2023 Annual Meeting

Our office recently attended the 2023 National Association of Medical Examiners Annual Meeting in San Jose, CA. It was a valuable experience for us to explain the FHIR implementation of our case management system to others.

Our office also took part in several presentations, which included:

• “Interdisciplinary Education in Forensic Pathology, A Collaborative Approach
  

to Addressing the Physician Workforce Shortage” presented by Jenna Aungst

• “Gender Identity in Medicolegal Death Investigation” presented by Juniper Fedor, Juniper’s presentation won Susan P. Baker Public Health Impact Award!
  

• “Structural Flexibility in Forensic Pathology: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Public- Private Partnership” presented by Gerald T. Gowitt, MD
  

(Forensic Medicine Associates, INC)

We are extremely proud of our office and the dedication and hard work of our staff.

Thank you NAME, CDC FHIR, Forensic Medicine Associates, and to everyone we had the honor of speaking to.

Congratulations Juniper Fedor!

At this years NAME Annual Meeting, Juniper Fedor, MS, PA presented on "Gender Identity in Medicolegal Death Investigation".

During his presentation, Juniper discussed the importance of gender identity, correct terminology, how to document different genders within investigative and autopsy reports, and gave the audience helpful resources.

There was a great turnout, and everyone in attendance was so enthusiastic and engaging. Juniper was also the recipient of the Susan P. Baker Public Health Impact Award!

We are so proud of Juniper and the work he does. Please give him some well deserved love for his contribution to this office and the industry as a whole!

Project Manager, Claire Waliczek, was able to attend the 45th annual gala for Missing and Exploited Children, hosted by the Raymond Green International Outreach of Hope.

Claire presented on the identification of William DaShawn Hamilton in 2022 and the rest of our Unidentified Remains cases with Kelly Lawson, the Forensic Artist at the GBI.

Also in attendance was Ava, who placed the vital tip that helped investigators officially identify William DaShawn Hamilton. Ava spent many years doing her own investigation into finding William and without her, we would still be searching for answers in his case.

The Raymond Green International Outreach of Hope is an incredible foundation that was built to be a beacon of hope for missing persons cold cases. The founder, Donna Green, lost her own son to abduction when he was only 5 days old and she has been advocating for other families who have been similarly impacted ever since.

Education Program

Our Fall interns, Shanda, Arion and Alison, took a tour of the GBI on October, 19th. Also in attendance was our newest Pathologists’ Assistant, Hannah Coltrain, and our October Medical Student, Jessie. They had a wonderful time learning about this statewide agency that we work closely with!

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date”

-Shakespeare

Summer 2023 interns are gone but not forgotten! We are wishing the best to MaryEllen Malone & Dustin Grossman from GSU and Dyrek Hamiliton from Emory University.

Tour of the GBI

For information about graduate level rotations, internships, volunteering or shadowing please email lmbucci@dekalbcountyga.gov

Here’s a glimpse into our monthly histology review with our expertly trained neuropathologist, Dr. Bruce Wainer. Both our Pathologists’ Assistants, our rotating pathologists’ assistant student, as well as our July medical student were present for this session.

“Shattered Dreams” 2023

DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office was invited to participate in “Shattered Dreams”, a drunk driving fatality simulation put on by Grady Memorial Hospital and Redan High School.

Student and teacher volunteers and first responders worked together to reenact a tragic motor vehicle accident involving driving while drunk. Students were shown the serious reality of how one decision can affect so many others through this simulation.

After the demonstration, 30 students spent the night at Grady Memorial Hospital to explore various career options as a part of the program.

This was a wonderful experience for us, and we would like to thank the wonderful event coordinators and volunteers for an incredible day!

Public Education & Outreach Events

On October 11, 2023, “An Evening with the Medical Examiner” was held at the Sue Kellogg- Stone Mountain Library. In the presentation, Brittany Godfrey and Lauren Bucci discussed the role of the medical examiner’s office, our procedures and the various facets of our industry. It was a great turn out and attendees asked excellent questions.

Our office had the opportunity to participate in Columbia High School’s Career Fair on October 27, 2023 . As part of the event, we sent a representative from some of our different departments to discuss the different careers at the Medical Examiner’s Office with students. Our visit to the school was a great success and we enjoyed meeting the staff and students.

Tapestry High School welcomed us on November 9, 2023. We gave a presentation to their forensic science class. We were extremely impressed with their forensic knowledge and the great questions they asked!

We take pride in our office and in the work we do. If you would like us to present to your group, please email blgodfrey@dekalbcountyga.gov.

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