Records Request
| Submitted | June 17, 2022 |
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Communications
From: Claudia Cramer
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Vermont Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:
Addison County Medical Examiner, Bennington County Medical Examiner, Caledonia County Medical Examiner, Chittenden County Medical Examiner, Essex County Medical Examiner, Franklin County Medical Examiner, Grand Isle County Medical Examiner, Lamoille County Medical Examiner, Orange County Medical Examiner, Orleans County Medical Examiner, Rutland County Medical Examiner, Washington County Medical Examiner, Windham County Medical Examiner, and Windsor County Medical Examiner.
Any lists for deaths/examinations/autopsies performed by the from December 1, 2020 to June 1, 2022.
I allow for the editing of information which is not able to be released under statute. No documents should be withheld, but only if necessary, information not able to be released under law may be edited.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
If there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
The requested records would be helpful if they include but not be limited to the following:
1. Case Number
2. Decedent’s Name
3. Age
4. Date of Birth
5. Gender
6. Date of Death
7. Cause of Death
8. Manner of Death (And if there is information on whether or not COVID was listed as the COD, please provide).
9. County of Death
10. Place of Death
11. Address of Death
12. City of Death
13. Zip Code of Death
14. Date of Death Year
15. 15. Any other accessible, non-exempt information contained in electronic case records
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Claudia Cramer
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Vermont Public Records Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 20, 2022. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Claudia Cramer
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Vermont Public Records Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 20, 2022. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
Sincerely,
Claudia Cramer
From: Office Of The Chief Medical Examiner
Hello Claudia,
We are in receipt of your request, but we are not able to respond to it as written: "Any lists for deaths/examinations/autopsies performed by the from [sic] December 1, 2020 to June 1, 2022." Please clarify what you are looking for:
* Total # of deaths that occurred and were registered within the State of Vermont from 12/1/2020 to 6/1/22?
* COVID-related deaths?
* Total # of autopsies performed?
* Copies of death certificates?
* A spreadsheet with information contained in death certificates?
Once you are able to clarify your request and the specific record(s) you are seeking, we will proceed to search for the requested record(s). In the future, please submit public record requests to this address: ahs.vdhpublicrecordsrequests@vermont.gov<mailto:ahs.vdhpublicrecordsrequests@vermont.gov>.
Thank you,
Paul Hochanadel, CPM
Director of Operations, Records Officer
Vermont Department of Health
(802) 585-0209
[cid:image001.png@01D88BD5.0640E200]<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov> Chat with me in Teams<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov>
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From: Claudia Cramer
Hello Paul,
My records request is for the data from the Addison County Medical Examiner, Bennington County Medical Examiner, Caledonia County Medical Examiner, Chittenden County Medical Examiner, Essex County Medical Examiner, Franklin County Medical Examiner, Grand Isle County Medical Examiner, Lamoille County Medical Examiner, Orange County Medical Examiner, Orleans County Medical Examiner, Rutland County Medical Examiner, Washington County Medical Examiner, Windham County Medical Examiner, and Windsor County Medical Examiner's related to:
1. The number of deaths examined/investigated/autopsies performed by those offices for the duration of Dec 1, 2020 through Jun 1 2020.
2. Decedent’s Name
3. Age
4. Date of Birth
5. Gender
6. Date of Death
7. Cause of Death
8. Manner of Death
9. County of Death
10. Place of Death
11. Address of Death
I understand some of this information may legally have to be with held but if you could let me know what information can be released I would appreciate it. Also, a spread sheet of this information would be perfectly acceptable and preferred. Thank you for responding so quickly to my request.
Regards,
Claudia Cramer
From: Office Of The Chief Medical Examiner
Hi Claudia,
Vermont does not use a county-based system. The Vermont Department of Health is responsible for a single Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that conducts death investigations/autopsies to determine the causes of non-natural deaths in Vermont: Death Investigation Systems | Vermont Department of Health (healthvermont.gov)<https://www.healthvermont.gov/health-professionals-systems/office-medical-examiner/death-investigation-systems>
I am assuming this is the information you are seeking. Also, below you indicate dates only in 2020, whereas your original request mentioned 2022. Please clarify.
Thanks,
Paul Hochanadel
(802) 585-0209
[cid:image001.png@01D88C6E.B0DFAE50]<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov> Chat with me in Teams<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov>
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From: Claudia Cramer
Hello Paul,
I was not aware that Vermont was not a county based system so thank you for clarifying that. Yes, you assume correctly that the information I am seeking would be from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Also, thank you for catching my typo I meant Dec 1, 2020 through Jun 1, 2022 as stated originally.
Regards,
Claudia Cramer
From: Office Of The Chief Medical Examiner
Thank you, we are in receipt of your revised request.
Paul Hochanadel
(802) 585-0209
[cid:image001.png@01D88C8E.B8B3B7A0]<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov> Chat with me in Teams<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov>
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From: Office Of The Chief Medical Examiner
Hello Claudia,
Is there a phone number we can reach you at? Our analyst would like to speak to you to clarify.
Thanks,
Paul Hochanadel
(802) 585-0209
[cid:image001.png@01D8912B.9420ABE0]<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov> Chat with me in Teams<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov>
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From: Office Of The Chief Medical Examiner
Hello Claudia,
Please find attached an extract from VT Vital Statistics Death Certificate Data. Contained in the file are all deaths that occurred in VT between the dates of Dec 1, 2020 through Jun 1, 2022 with a final death certificate that indicates “autopsy performed”.
There are a total of 851 deaths in that time frame that had autopsies performed. For each, the following information is provided:
* Requested Information (variable name in attached file)
* Decedent’s Name (FN, MN, LN)
* Age (age_yr)
* Date of Birth (MOB, DOB, YOB)
* Gender (sex)
* Date of Death (MOD (month of death), DOD (day of death) YOD (year of death))
* Cause of Death (causea through causef)
* Manner of Death (MODTH_TXT)
* County of Death (CODTH_TXT)
* Place of Death (POD_TXT)
* Address of Death* (NOTE: we do not have an address of death field; we have provided state of residence, state of death, and county of death (see above))
* stres – state of residence
* stdth – state of death
Please note that it can take months for deaths to be resolved and for death certificates to be completed – especially deaths where an autopsy is performed. Thus, data are considered preliminary and will change. For example, there are a total of 34 deaths pending in the timeframe you have requested for 2022 (as of 6/27/2022). (NOTE: a “pending death” is a case where the OCME is investigating a death, and the manner/cause has not yet been assigned and, thus, a death certificate has not yet been completed.) In addition, VT still has 5 pending deaths for 2021. Death certificate data for 2020 is considered final (i.e., there are no pending deaths for 2020).
Thank you,
Paul Hochanadel, CPM
Director of Operations, Records Officer
Vermont Department of Health
(802) 585-0209
[cid:image001.png@01D8929B.73F7B770]<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov> Chat with me in Teams<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=paul.hochanadel@vermont.gov>
From: Claudia Cramer
Hello Paul,
Thank you for sending the data. I appreciate your thoroughness.
Regards,
Claudia Cramer
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