Dickinson County Memorial Hospital. (Theresa Proudfit/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — An agreement that continues to provide medical examiner access to the morgue and autopsy room at Dickinson County Memorial Hospital was approved Monday, a move described as a “stop-gap” measure as county officials work on a regional solution.

“I think it’s a good move forward,” Commissioner Joe Stevens said. “It had to get done.”

The county board voted 4-1 to accept the deal after several months of talks with Dickinson County Healthcare System.

Commissioner Kevin Pirlot voted no, saying the three-year agreement “comes up a little short” of the county’s needs. Pirlot said the county could negotiate for regional provisions with DCHS, but Commissioner Barbara Kramer said a joint authority would have to be established first.

This past fall, apparently to save costs, DCHS began outsourcing pathology services to Medical Lab Associates of Marquette. At the same time, the hospital ended its contract with Dr. Martin Cristanelli, who had served a dual role as in-house pathologist and county-appointed medical examiner.

Cristanelli continues to serve as medical examiner after accepting a job as a pathologist in Marshfield, Wis., nearly 200 miles away. Michigan requires each county to have a medical examiner who must be a physician, though not necessarily a pathologist.

Unable to find a successor to Cristanelli, the county has hired two retired law enforcement officers to work part-time as death investigators, said Controller Brian Bousley. The investigators will help Cristanelli in determining whether an autopsy should be ordered, easing the challenge of fulfilling his duties while in Marshfield.

Cristanelli is willing to travel here if an autopsy is needed, Bousley said, or autopsies could be done at facilities in Marquette or Houghton for a fee.

Dickinson County has 20 or fewer autopsies a year, according to Cristanelli. He’s estimated that 80% of the medical examiner’s role is determining whether one is necessary.

In dismissing Cristanelli, the hospital said it would no longer accommodate on-site autopsies, creating concerns among law enforcement and, in at least one case, grieving families.

Lynn Deloria of Kingsford told the county board Monday she was denied any chance to see her son’s body after he was pronounced dead Oct. 7 at the hospital. Deloria said she was told it was “a legal issue,” but now believes she was a victim of a conflict over access to the hospital morgue. She said there was “no dignity” in the handling of her son’s body, which remained in the morgue several days after his suicide.

County board members shared their regrets while agreeing to look into the circumstances.

In November, an agreement with DCHS gave county authorities temporary access to the morgue and autopsy room. The measure approved Monday is an extension of that agreement with modifications such as easing a time limit on morgue use.

Bousley believes it will be adequate on a case-by-case basis, even for deaths that might occur in neighboring counties.

“It’s a stop-gap … to make sure we can do autopsies,” he said. He described it as “an amicable agreement for both of us to move forward.”

The county is exploring regional alternatives with the goal of bringing a number of counties together under a cooperative contract. There would be a shared medical examiner and possibly a facility separate from DCHS. A feasibility study may be needed to put such a plan forward, Bousley said.

According to DCHS, most Upper Peninsula health care organizations have discontinued autopsy services because they’re not part of the core services required in their communities.

The county this year budgeted $48,250 for the medical examiner, which included the hospital’s anticipated charges and $25,000 for Cristanelli’s services.