Media contact:
Nicole Dailey Jones: (216) 263-4602 or (216) 338-0863; ndjones@cuyahogacounty.us
John Kohlstrand: (216) 698-2099; jkohlstrand@cuyahogacounty.us


CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald announced his selection for Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner, the position which replaces the formerly elected County Coroner.

FitzGerald named Dr. Thomas Gilson, currently Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Connecticut.  Dr. Gilson previously served as Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Rhode Island, seven years in the New York City Office of the Medical Examiner, and in the New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s office.  Dr. Gilson has practiced in the death investigation field since completion of his pathology residency at the University of Cincinnati in 1994.

“Dr. Gilson was credited for reforming and turning around the Rhode Island Office of the Medical Examiner.  When Tom arrived, the office had long delays for service and was not accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners, but he changed that,” County Executive FitzGerald said.

The Providence Journal reported in 2009 that Dr. Gilson earned “credit for turning around a problem-plagued office “during his three and a half years as Chief and “cleared a two-year backlog of autopsy reports,” citing health department sources.

Dr. Gilson will be presented for confirmation by the County Council in the near future.