Since 1994
Iowa Association of County Medical Examiners
Our History
IACME was founded in 1994 under the leadership and direction of Dr. Dale Andres and the Iowa Medical Society’s Committee on Forensic Medicine. This committee was chaired by Dr. Peter Stephens and included Drs. Dennis Mallory, Art McMahon, David Gauger, Brad Randall, Francis Garrity and Tom Bennett. Today, IACME is a vital, active organization with a bright future.
IACME is affiliated with NAME, the National Association of Medical Examiners.
Our Mission
To promote the highest professional standards for county medical examiners and death investigators in the state of Iowa.
Iowa Association of County Medical Examiners
What is iacme
The Iowa Association of County Medical Examiners is the state professional organization for county medical examiners, medical examiner investigators and others involved in death investigations in Iowa.
IACME is affiliated with NAME, the National Association of Medical Examiners.
Who is eligible for IACME membership?
Any physician who serves as a state, county or deputy county medical examiner in Iowa is eligible for Full Membership in the Iowa Association of County Medical Examiners.
Any county medical examiner investigator serving as defined by Iowa Administrative Code is eligible for Investigator Membership.
Physicians, law enforcement officers, public officials and employees, attorneys, funeral directors and other allied health professionals with an interest in the work of the IACME are eligible for Associate Membership.
What are the benefits of membership?
The Iowa Association of County Medical Examiners is the primary source of information and education for anyone involved in death investigation in Iowa. As an IACME member, you will pay a reduced rate to attend the IACME Fall Meeting and Education Expo. Held every November in Des Moines, this extremely successful event brings together county medical examiners, law enforcement, funeral directors, attorneys and other health professionals from across Iowa. In post-meeting surveys, attendees consistently praise this conference as a source of valuable networking and practical information on death investigation.
IACME members also receive IACME News, a quarterly newsletter containing current news and information for county MEs and investigators. IACME members have access to iacountyme.org, the IACME web site.
How is IACME governed?
IACME is governed by a board consisting of a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, past president, five physician members and five ex-officio members from the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner (IOSME). In November of 2009, the IACME Board and membership approved a plan to establish an investigator board position; in 2014, a second investigator board position was added. The IACME Board of Directors tracks legislation and regulations and maintains relationships with outside organizations affecting the work of Iowa’s medical examiners and medical examiner investigators.
Who Serves IACME
PRESIDENT
Daniel Cole, MD
Trinity Regional Medical Center
802 Kenyon Road
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
erdoc5246@aol.com
Term ends December 31, 2023
PAST PRESIDENT
Kevin Locke, MD
Decorah Clinic/Mayo Health System
907 Montgomery
Decorah, IA 52101
locke.kevin@mayo.edu
Term ends December 31, 2023
VICE PRESIDENT
Anthony J. Leo, MD
PO Box 527
Oelwein, IA. 50662
319.240.1714
Term ends December 31, 2023
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Dennis Firchau, MD
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
200 Hawkins Dr., 612 GH
Iowa City, IA. 52242
Dennis.firchau@uiowa.edu
Term ends December 31, 2023
Chris Sutton
PO Box 274
Boone, IA 50036
iacmeservices@gmail.com
515.212.9685
Dennis Crabb, MD
1306 4th Ave.
Denison, IA 51442
dwcrabb@frontiernet.net
Term ends December 31, 2023
Barbara Harre, MD
Child Protective Response Center
1230 E. Rusholme St., Bldg. 2 LL01
Davenport, IA 52803
barbara.harre@scottcountyiowa.com
Term ends December 31, 2023
Sheila Holcomb, MD
Floyd Valley Health Care
714 Lincoln St., NE
LeMars, IA 51031
sheila.holcomb@floydvalley.org
Term ends December 31, 2023
Paul Jensen, PharmD, MD
Regional Health Services of Howard County
235 8th Ave. W
Cresco, IA 52136
563.547.2022
Term ends December 31, 2023
Staci Olson, RN, MEI
Webster County Medical Examiner
802 Kenyon Road
Fort Dodge, IA 50501
staci.olson@unitypoint.org
Term ends December 31, 2024
Thomas Summitt, MEI, D-ABMDI
Muscatine County ME Office
401 East 3rd St.
Muscatine, IA 52761
tom.summitt@muscatinecountyiowa.gov
Term ends December 31, 2024
Michele Catellier, MD
Iowa Office of State Medical Examiner
2250 S. Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA 50023
michele.catellier@idph.iowa.gov
Dennis Klein, MD
Iowa Chief State Medical Examiner
2250 S. Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA 50023
dennis.klein@idph.iowa.gov
Kelly Kruse, MD, MPH
Iowa Office of State Medical Examiner
2250 S. Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA 50023
kelly.kruse@idph.iowa.gov
Jacob Smith, MD
Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner
2250 S. Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA. 50023
Jacob.smith@idph.iowa.gov
Jonathan Thompson, MD
Iowa Office of State Medical Examiner
2250 S. Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA 50023 Jonathan.thompson@idph.iowa.gov
Notice: Due to security and legal considerations, not all IACME Fall Meeting speakers are able to provide their full power point presentations for posting on our web site.
2022 IACME Fall Meeting materials
Fall Meeting attendees (in-person + virtual)
Sponsor/Exhibitors Contact Information
Attendee Survey (required for awarding of CME hours)
Iowa Suicide 2020: IAVDRS report
Friday, November 4
ME-101
Iowa Donor Network presentation
Search and Recovery of Skeletal Remains from Outdoor Settings
Warming Up Cold Cases: Introduction to Investigative Genetic Genealogy
Death in Custody Reporting Act
Searching for Family Members Printable Genealogy Resource List
Saturday, November 5
Investigation of Death and Possible Abuse of the Elderly
Drugs of Abuse and Out of Scope Findings
Motor Vehicle Collisions Breaking Down the Elements
Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner — Update
Archives
2021 IACME Fall Meeting Materials
Friday, November 5
ME-101: Death Investigation Basics — Kelly Kruse, MD; Mark Bethel, F-ABMDI; Jessica Jessen, F-ABMDI
ME-101: Organ Donation—Natalie Oakes, Iowa Donor Network
Current Drug Threats and Overdose Response Strategies—Kevin Winker
Suicides: Theory, Practice and Investigation—Stephen Holmes, PhD
Sleep-related Deaths in Infants - Abby Collier, MS
State Epidemiology: Lessons Learned and Future Applications - Caitlin Pedati, MD
Iowa Violent Death Reporting System — Wendy Ringgenberg PhD, MPH; Jonathan Davis, PhD
23 & MEs: How an Iowa Family's DNA Solved a Colorado Murder (banquet presentation)—Joan Hanlon
Saturday, November 6
Introduction to Investigating Environmental-related Deaths —Jonathan Thompson, MD
Suicide and Homicide Scene Investigations — Alisha Weber, CCP, ME-I
Things aren't Always as they Appear: How a Suicide becomes a Homicide—Jacob Smith, MD
IOSME Update: Annual Update and Future Outlook—Dennis Klein, MD
None of our 2021 IACME Fall Meeting speakers has ties with any commercial entity.
2020 IACME Webinar Materials
IACME Death Investigators Webinar Brochure
Webinar Schedule November 6-7, 2020
Friday, November 6 presentations
Radiation Safety for Medical Examiners Angela Leek, CHP
Investigating Fatal Explosions John Kraemer, MHS, BS, CPM
Investigating Fatal Explosions (text only handout version)
Toxicology Trends/Best Practices in Forensic Toxicology Sherri Kacinko, PhD
Iowa Violent Death Reporting System Lisa Roth
Pediatric Abuse Joshua Akers, MD
Pedestrian and Motor Vehicle Fatalities Kelly Kruse, MD, MPH
COVID-19 Death Certification Robert Anderson, PhD; Marcus Nashelsky, MD
Update from the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner (Dennis Klein, MD)
Saturday, November 7
ME-101: Death Investigation Basics Kelly Kruse, MD, MPH; Mark Bethel, F-ABMDI; Natalie Oakes, Iowa Donor Network
ME-101 (Text only handout version)
Donation 101: It Starts with You Natalie Oakes
2019 IACME Fall Meeting Materials
Speaker Objectives/Attendee Survey
CME Reporting Form (medical examiners)
Certificate of Attendance (medical examiner investigators)
Sponsor/Exhibitors contact information
Election ballot (approved by the IACME Board 10.10.19)
Friday speakers
ME-101 (Death Investigation Basics) Kelly Kruse, MD, MPH and Jessica Jessen, F-ABMDI
Iowa Donor Network Natalie Oakes
Protecting Human Remains in Iowa: Purposes, Laws and Processes Lara Noldner, PhD
Investigating Fatal Fires John Kraemer, MHS, BS, CPM
Importance of Autopsy Data to Trauma Programs Gregory Schmunk, MD
The Pathology of Mass Disasters: 9/11 Pentagon Attack and the I-35 Bridge Collapse Andrew Baker, MD
Crime Scene Processing and the DCI Crime Labs (Two handouts) Gary Licht, DCI Criminalist Supervisor
Major Case Fingerprint Template
Saturday speakers
Pediatric Asphyxial Deaths Andrew Baker, MD
Death Scene Photography: Practices, Procedures and Pointers Kelly Kruse, MD, MPH and Kip Ladage, MEI
Iowa's State Medical Examiner System: Annual Update and Future Outlook Dennis Klein, MD
Iowa Case Studies Dennis Klein, MD
Identifying a Gastrointestinal Bleed at the Scene Submitted by Heather Sanderson, RN, D-ABMDI
Infant Case Study Submitted by Mike Thomason, MEI
Black Hawk County MEI and Waterloo PD Submitted by Tara Duncan, MEI
2018 IACME Fall Meeting Materials
2018 Speaker Objectives and Attendee Survey
Friday speakers
Chemical Suicides Captain Bob Suarez
Navigating Iowa's Enhanced Prescription Monitoring Program Jennifer Tiffany, RPh
Forensic Anthropology: Who, What, Where, When and Why Heather Garvin, PhD, D-ABFA
Incident Command System: What is it? John Kraemer, PA
Cause and Manner of Death (For Medical Examiners) Dennis Klein, MD
Saturday speakers
Toxicology: An Update on OTC and Illicit Drugs Geoffrey Wall, PharmD
Sharp Force Injuries Stephanie Stauffer, MD
NamUs: Resources for Missing and Unidentified Person Cases Melissa Gregory (Paper handouts will be available at the meeting)
Iowa's State Medical Examiner System: Annual Update and Future Outlook Dennis Klein, MD