Muccio announces re-election bid for Coroner
Michelle A. Muccio of St. Marys, has announced her candidacy for re-election for Elk County Coroner. Michelle is a lifelong resident of the area and a graduate of Elk County Christian High School. She holds an Associate's Degree in Funeral Service Management as well as a Diploma in Funeral Directing and Embalming from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. She is a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer and owns the LynchGreen Funeral Home in St. Marys, as well as funeral homes in Ridgway and Kersey.
Her mortuary education provided significant medical training in anatomy and pathology, as well as extensive training in identifying cause and manner of death. She is also highly trained in the medical and psychological aspects surrounding a death, and has attended yearly conferences and training seminars to remain current with all aspects of the Coroner's Office. She is currently working towards her ABMDI certification (American Board of Medico-Legal Death Investigators).
Muccio took office in January of 2012 and has investigated more than 1400 deaths while in office. She has evaluated and authorized more than 1500 cremations. Michelle feels that she continues to be the most qualified for this position given her formal education in death care, her experience serving as coroner and the excellent relationships forged with the local fire departments, police and ambulance personnel. In her tenure as coroner, the office has run smoothly and she has been fiscally responsible with her yearly budget.
Muccio is a member of the Pennsylvania Coroner's Association where she serves on the Vital Statistics and Nominations Committees. She also sits on the MDAIR Team (Medication Death and Incident Review Team), which evaluates and offers guidance for deaths involving prescription medications designed to aid with addiction treatment. She also also pioneered two community-minded programs, one being the Cribs for Kids Program, which provides cribs to families who otherwise wouldn't have access to a safe sleep space for their child, and the second is the Elder Justice Coalition, which helps bring awareness and education to older adults.
She states that a great deal of time and dedication is required to serve as Coroner, and that she has served and will continue to serve the community with utmost compassion and professionalism. Her main objective is to ensure that the respect and privacy of both the decedent and their family is foremost in every situation. The Coroner is responsible for things such as investigating unattended deaths, issuing death certificates, and issuing cremation authorizations to area funeral directors. The coroner must work closely with local and state authorities during death investigations as well as be available around the clock when needed, something Muccio states is already second nature to her. She is grateful for the support that has been shown to her over her last 12 years in office from the community, the EMS providers, the Fire Departments, and Elkland Search and Rescue.
Michelle and her family live in St. Marys and are members of Sacred Heart Church, where she also serves on Parish Council. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association. The continued support from the community is greatly appreciated, and Michelle would also appreciate write-ins on the Democratic ticket.