Team reviews factors that lead to deaths
BURLEY, Idaho – The Governor’s Task Force on Children at Risk assembled the Idaho Child Fatality Review Team in 2013, and the team’s April report on 2012 deaths was its second.
The team’s members were chosen by task force members to incorporate a variety of expertise and perspective, said Jon Hanian, spokesman for the governor’s office.
Task force Chairman Kirt Naylor said the force earmarked $50,000 annually from the federal Children’s Justice Act and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to fund the review team, whose members are unpaid volunteers.
Years ago, Naylor said, Idaho had a child mortality review team, but it was disbanded due to fear of the new medical privacy laws. Prior to the new team’s 2013 formation, Idaho was the only state without such a team.
The team’s goal is to understand all the factors that led to a death — to help prevent others.
“Our purpose is not to second-guess law enforcement or medical professionals in any single case but to see whether there are any trends by certain entities or professionals,” Naylor said.
The team used information already gathered by law enforcement, medical personnel, coroners and state agencies to review the deaths of Idaho children.
In 2012, there were 168 deaths of children from birth to 18 years.
A subcommittee met prior to each full team meeting to screen deaths by cause and identify possibly preventable deaths for further review. Criteria for full review included death due to external cause, unexplained death or death due to a cause with identified risk factors.
The subcommittee identified what records were needed from death and birth certificates, autopsies, law enforcement and coroner reports, Idaho Transportation Department crash and injury reports, National Transportation Safety Board reports, medical records, EMS records and child protection records. The team did not have subpoena power and could not always obtain confidential records.
The team completed a full review of 78 of the deaths and met five times between May 2014 and January to conduct case reviews.
Naylor said most members remained on the team for the second year, although some were replaced.
Appointed members for the latest report: Jerrilea Archer, retired from Ada County Sheriff’s Department; Alfred Barrus, former Cassia County prosecutor; Dr. Glen Groben, Ada County coroner and forensic pathologist; Margaret Henbest, executive director of Nurse Leaders of Idaho, pediatric nurse; Dr. Paul McPherson, St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital pediatrician; Kathryn Rose, Bonner County coroner; Erwin Sonnenberg, Ada County coroner; Miren Unsworth of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Child and Family Services; and Tahna Cooper-Barton of Court Appointed Special Advocates.