Dane County Announces Changes at Medical Examiner’s Office, Extends Deepest Gratitude to Dr. Vincent Tranchida

December 16, 2021
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

After a number of years leading Dane County's transition from Coroner to Medical Examiner, Dr. Vincent Tranchida will step down at his request as Chief Medical Examiner in mid-January, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced today. Pending Dane County Board approval on a pair of resolutions, Dr. Tranchida will become a Deputy Medical Examiner and Dr. Agnieszka Rogalska, who currently serves as Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, will become Chief Medical Examiner.

“We are incredibly grateful for Dr. Tranchida’s more than decade of service to the Dane County community as Chief Medical Examiner,” said County Executive Joe Parisi. “His leadership and professionalism have helped define the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office. We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Tranchida as he begins this new chapter.”

Dr. Tranchida began his position as Chief Medical Examiner in February 2011 and led the regionalization of medical examiner services to other counties. These efforts culminated in an intergovernmental agreement with Rock County in 2015 and an intergovernmental agreement with Brown, Door, and Oconto Counties in 2016. Regionalization has resulted in efficiencies that offer better services to Dane County residents, while being fiscally responsible.

Dr. Tranchida oversaw not only the transition to a professional Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office, but also development of the Dane County East District Campus building that will house the county's forensic pathology work for decades to come. This state of the art building for the Medical Examiner’s Office opened in 2017.

Dr. Tranchida moved to Dane County after serving six years as Senior Medical Examiner in the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in New York City. There, he conducted autopsies for New York City and helped the New York Police Department determine the cause and manner of deaths in unknown cases. He earned his medical degree from the Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed his residency work in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of Michigan Medical Center.  

The County Board and County Executive created the position of Medical Examiner in 2010, culminating work started by former Dane County Coroners John Stanley and Ray Wosepka to convert the Office of Coroner into a Medical Examiner. Stanley and Wosepka championed having a Medical Examiner to ensure the important work of conducting death investigations and consoling families would be done with the utmost amount of professionalism. Prior to the county having a Medical Examiner, the Coroner’s position had been an elected position.

Dr. Tranchida’s last day as Chief Medical Examiner will be January 16, 2022.