February 1, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Dr. Denise Dingle has stepped down as the DeKalb County Medical Examiner.
The resignation, effective January 31, comes just as a new county policy went into effect February 1 regarding how the medical examiner and medical investigator are to be paid per death call.
Dr. Dingle issued the following statement to WJLE Saturday through her attorney Jon Slager
“Dr. Denise Dingle, MD, did, in fact tender her resignation as DeKalb County Medical Examiner. The most recent adoption of new policies and procedures for the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office, over the objection of Dr. Dingle, is the most recent example of an untenable work environment which began last year with the County Mayor’s failed attempt to suspend and ultimately fire Dr. Dingle as medical examiner,” the statement concluded.
As a contracted service, Dr. Dingle was paid $5,000 a year by the county as medical director and $100 per body as medical examiner. However, County Mayor Matt Adcock reported to the county commission in November that an invoice from July, when Dingle was on suspension and not the ME, charged a $200 fee for one decedent.
During December’s regular monthly meeting, the county commission adopted the following written policy as recommended by the government services committee to become effective February 1, 2025.
Under the policy, “$200 will be paid to the Medical Examiner per decedent. The $200 will be $100 for the Medical Examiner and $100 for the Medical Investigator. 911 will notify the Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner will be responsible for contacting a Medical Investigator on each body. The Medical Examiner will be responsible for paying the Medical Investigator within 30 days of receiving the money from the county. A DeKalb County employee can be the Medical Investigator as long as they are not on the DeKalb County clock during the investigation”.
County Mayor Adcock said members of the DeKalb Ambulance Service trained in medical death investigations may be called upon during their off times to perform this duty but not while they are on the clock because that amounts to double dipping according to the state comptroller.