DaytonDailyNews.com

HAMILTON — Butler County Coroner Dr. Richard Burkhardt has heard the black humor jokes and one-liners about his profession since elected to the office in 1980.

"You know people are 'dying' to see you, things like that" the 70-year-old laughed.

But this year the relocation of an area hospital has the coroner's office losing "business" to neighboring Warren County.

In January, Middletown Regional Hospital opened its new location, Atrium Medical Center, also in Middletown but across the Butler County line.

The result is less cases for Burkhardt and more for Warren County Coroner Dr. Russell Uptegrove.

"We are loosing business," Burkhardt said. "I think we are down about 20 cases."

The coroner's office had 237 cases last year at this time. This year, as of late week, there were 216 cases, according to Burkhardt.

"I hate to lose those cases," the coroner, who is running unopposed in November for his eighth, four-year term.

Burkhardt said his office in self-contained with autopsies performed at the morgue on Fairgrove Avenue making pickup easier for funeral homes and closer for law enforcement who are welcome to attend autopsies.

"I think we handle cases the way they should be handled," Burkhardt said, although he does not fault coroner's offices in neighboring counties.

Autopsies for Warren County cases are performed at the Montgomery County morgue where Uptegrove is on staff. He also serves as a forensic pathologist in some cases for Butler County.

It is too early to tell if the shift in cases from Atrium will mean changes in the Butler County Coroner's Office because of the opening of new facilities in the county, including Cincinnati Children's Liberty Campus on Yankee Road, and the population growth in southern areas, Burkhardt said.

Doyle Burke, Warren County Coroner's chief investigator said there has been a shift in cases coming to their office, partially because of the move of Atrium and the population boom in Warren County.

"We're up about 100 deaths," Burke said, adding 61 have come from Atrium.

If the growth continues, Burke said, "We might have to investigate adding staff."

He said currently the office is able to keep up with the work. The current system for autopsies works well for Warren County because Uptegrove works at the Montgomery County morgue and can take care of those cases personally.

Uptegrove could not be reached for comment.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.