National Accreditation Top Priority For Bucks Co. Coroner-Elect

WARMINSTER, PA —Bucks County Coroner-Elect Patti Campi is ready to go.

The 60-year-old Democrat from Warwick cruised to victory by 10,000 votes in Tuesday's general election, defeating Republican Charles R. Stockert with Campi getting 101,914 votes to Stockert's 91,705 votes for a four-year term, according to unofficial election results.

That came after Campi —an oncology nurse and president and office manager of E.P. Donnelly, Inc. —beat incumbent Coroner Meredith Buck in a rare contested May primary election for the position.

Speaking for the first time following both victories, Campi said she is looking forward to taking the helm at the Warminster Township-based Coroner's Office.

"I'm excited to make changes and help people on a wider scale," she told Patch Thursday afternoon.

Campi has one top priority right out of the gate.

"I definitely want to get accreditation," Campi stated.

National accreditation for the Bucks County Forensic Facility would make it the sixth coroner's office in Pennsylvania to achieve accreditation and the first in the Philadelphia area.

Accreditation requires an office to demonstrate it meets the national standards for death investigation set by the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.

Buck announced a similar intention in May.

Accreditation requires a forensic facility to prove it meets standards in five different areas: medicolegal office practices, investigative practices, morgue facilities, laboratory services, and forensic specialists.

Once an office provides electronic documentation of meeting each standard, two auditors from the IACME conduct an onsite visit. Once granted, accreditation is valid for five years, after which a re-accreditation process is required to prove the office continues to be in compliance.

"I'm used to filling out government forms," Campi said.

Besides accreditation, Campi would also like to focus on trying to track preventative deaths like suicide and drug overdoses and find a way to offer more education about them.