Dr. Rose Schabilion takes the helm as Henry County's new medical examiner

MT. PLEASANT—Henry County's new Medical Examiner Dr. Rose Schabilion introduced herself to the Henry County Board of Supervisors during the Dec. 12 at the Henry County Courthouse. After a recommendation from the current medical examiner, Dr. Meghan Wooster, Schabilion signed a contract to take on the role, which she described as a natural extension of her work in the local emergency room.

“I just wanted to introduce myself to the board,” Schabilion told the supervisors, noting that her experience Henry County Health Center’s emergency room had prepared her for this new role.

According to the contract signed by the Board of Supervisors and Schabilion, who is also the director of the ER and the trauma program, her new duties as Henry County's chief medical examiner began in November 2024. Her appointment comes as part of a strategic partnership with Wooster, who will serve as Schabilion's deputy medical examiner in Henry County. Schabilion will then serve as Wooster’s deputy medical examiner in Lee and Des Moines counties.

Supervisor Greg Moeller confirmed that the Board of Supervisors had already approved her contract, and all that remained was her signature.

“This agreement works well because both Dr. Wooster and I provide direct patient care,” Schabilion explained. “If a patient in our care passes away, we should not be the ones deciding whether they need an autopsy, so this setup with deputies ensures fairness and continuity.”

The role of county medical examiners in Iowa generally involves investigating unexpected or unexplained deaths. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, medical examiners in Iowa are typically physicians who may not be pathologists but still hold a critical role in death investigations, a task often requiring coordination with local law enforcement.

In Henry County, Schabilion will be working closely with medical examiner investigators (MEIs) to determine when state autopsies are necessary.

While Schabilion’s specialty is in family medicine, not pathology, she highlighted that it is common in rural Iowa for family physicians or emergency room doctors to assume the medical examiner role.

“In the state of Iowa, we don’t have a lot of pathologists available to do that,” she said.

Schabilion’s ties to the area run deep. Born in Iowa City and raised in Cedar County, she has spent most of her life in Iowa, except for a brief period in Washington, D.C., while her husband served in the Air Force. Her 98-year-old grandmother still operates a century farm in Lee County, underscoring her strong local roots. Currently, Schabilion lives in Cedar Rapids and commutes to Mt. Pleasant to work in the HCHC ER.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com