League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
	Hamilton County, OH November 6, 2012 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Coroner; County of Hamilton

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Qualifications, Implementation, Public health Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What are your qualifications for office? (50 Word limit) Answer from Lakshmi Sammarco: I am a practicing radiologist with 17 years of experience. I have spent years building successful professional relationships with world class healthcare institutions from coast to coast. With my high-tech imaging knowledge and management experience in hospitals and imaging centers, I continue to be the best candidate for this position. Answer from Peter J. "Pete" Kambelos, M.D.: Having practiced as an Internist for 16 years, I have precisely diagnosed and treated a plethora of ailments and have accumulated a wealth of experience in human pathophysiology. I consider myself a seasoned clinical investigator. Additionally, I serve in many diverse and highly responsible community leadership positions. 2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit) Answer from Lakshmi Sammarco: I am identifying inefficiencies and streamlining operations so that we can make more money for the county. My collaborations with world class medical institutions and experience working with the Crime Lab on DNA, drugs, trace evidence and firearms has increased efficiency and innovative techniques at the Coroner's Office.I am networking with outside county personnel to market our capabilities and encourage referrals to our office. Using my background in Radiology, I am investigating "Virtual Autopsy" technology which will make money for Hamilton County by attracting new business to the Coroner's Office. This will also put Cincinnati and Hamilton County in the.... Answer from Peter J. "Pete" Kambelos, M.D.: Our county is experiencing an unprecedented financial crisis. Our county government is having to do more, with less. My background includes a sound education, beginning with my parents, in fiscal responsibility. I intend to scrutinize, line-by-line and item-by-item, the office's budget such that the fat is cut and the waste is eliminated...and such that the taxpayer is treated fairly under my administration. I intend to engage and enhance technology in the office, but not at the expense of sound clinical reasoning and judgement and certainly not by asking our already strapped taxpayers for more money. 3. In what ways will you work to improve public health in Hamilton County? (100 word limit) Answer from Lakshmi Sammarco: By using the information that we gain from death investigations, we get a snapshot of the overall health of Hamilton County citizens. Not only can we comment on the incidence and prevalence of certain types of medical illnesses, we can communicate to the health care industry the trends that we are seeing and the need for intervention. Drug abuse is on the rise. We have seen an increase in drug related deaths. There has also been a rise in use of certain drugs over others. We have noticed an increase in drug use at younger ages and drug related deaths.... Answer from Peter J. "Pete" Kambelos, M.D.: As our county's chief medical officer, I intend to blend my extensive experience as a primary care physician, high level involvement in local organized medicine circles, and service as a member of the volunteer faculty at the University of Cincinnati. I intend to engage those valuable assets in collaborating with fellow law enforcement colleagues to reduce deaths by violence in our community. Additionally, given my broad community involvement and integration, I intend to serve as an accessible physician liason to all the institutions that I serve to facilitate comprehensive interlocal cooperation to improve our community's overall health and well being. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Answers will be cut off if they exceed a word limit, if present. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.