Laurie Summers, coroner for Will County, told the committee that deaths are recorded by the county where the time of death is pronounced, and that Will County’s coroner does not automatically receive death certificates for Will County residents pronounced deceased elsewhere.

"If they die in our county, it's my job to take care of that death certificate," Summers said. "Once they leave the county, we're not going to get notified of that." She explained the workflow: the coroner’s office signs cause and manner, the office files with the Illinois Vital Records system (IBRS), and the state and local registrar (the county clerk) then post records and notify funeral homes.

Summers and committee members discussed cross-county reporting gaps for residents who are transferred to hospitals in neighboring counties. The coroner said collar counties have improved information flow but that electronic access to other counties’ filed certificates is limited by county-by-county systems.

On causes of death and trends, Summers said Will County’s opioid-related overdose deaths are down compared with last year, but she and other presenters warned of shifting drug patterns. The coroner said fentanyl- and heroin-related deaths have decreased in recent reporting, while cocaine deaths have risen; she said emerging compounds such as xylazine and other designer opioids are being monitored and that the coroner’s office posts tox information on its website.

Summers also said suicide deaths are increasing and that the pattern has condensed into a shorter timeframe. "Suicides are going way up, not by numbers, but how it's condensing into a shorter amount of time," she said, and said the county will continue tracking and reporting these patterns.

Committee members asked whether county data should include Will County residents pronounced deceased elsewhere; Summers said adding those cases would require targeted follow-up work and electronic-IT solutions beyond her current staffing and processes. She offered to return with additional information and a broader data breakdown at the next meeting.