Lakshmi Kode Sammarco, MD is the Hamilton County Coroner and a board certified neuroradiologist who is in clinical practice in Cincinnati, Ohio. She founded and runs NeuroRadPro LLC. Dr. Sammarco's company provides specialized consulting services in neuroradiology and general radiology for large and small cities across the United States. Dr. Sammarco is currently licensed in nine states. In addition to providing clinical services, Dr. Sammarco provides consulting services for Quality Control and Medical Director services for other teleradiology businesses in the United States. Previous employment experience includes faculty neuroradiology positions at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore and the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. In Cincinnati, she has worked as a radiologist at local hospitals before starting her own subspecialty services company.
Dr. Sammarco was raised and educated in Cincinnati. She attended the Clifton Elementary School and Cincinnati Country Day School where she graduated early at age 17. She then entered the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering as their youngest student to have been granted a junior position. At UC, Dr. Sammarco was an active part of the Caducea Premedical Society, the Honors Student Association and the Mideastern Honors Association and a committee member of the McMicken Honors Society. After only 2 years, Dr. Sammarco was offered admission into the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine where she completed her Medical Degree in 1988. At age 24 she was the youngest student in her class. Dr. Sammarco completed her residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Case Western Reserve University - MetroHealth Medical Center in 1993. In 1995 she completed the two year accredited fellowship in Neuroradiology at the University of California Los Angeles, one of the most prestigious neuroradiology fellowships in the world. During this time, Dr. Sammarco was involved in the development of many of the minimally invasive procedures to treat strokes, aneurysms and cancers of the brain and spine currently used today. She is currently a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology.
Dr. Sammarco is a dynamic and energetic woman who is actively involved in the local community. She is involved with the Hindu Temple and the local Indian dance programs. She volunteers speaking to middle and high school students about education and career choices. She is a volunteer at the UC College of Medicine, helping to select our future doctors.
Dr. Sammarco is married to Dr. Vincent James Sammarco, MD, and has two children. They are a "Cincinnati" family and regularly attend the arts including the Symphony, Opera and Ballet in addition to being supporters of the professional and college sports teams. Her interests include photography, asian and Hindu art, traveling and gourmet cooking. She is an active athlete and enjoys skiing and tennis.
Within Hamilton County there are a number of major hospitals and trauma centers serving the tri-state area. Consequently, there are numerous deaths in Hamilton County each year wherein the precipitating incident leading to death occurred outside Hamilton County, but the death falls under the jurisdiction of the Hamilton County Coroner. Thus, the statistics appearing in this Annual Report do not necessarily agree with numbers reported by police agencies throughout the county.
The Hamilton County Coroner's office is in reality a regional facility which provides forensic services to surrounding counties on a fee-for-service basis.
Accident – death caused by violent means, not due to an intentional or criminal act by another person. Traffic fatalities are the exception to the latter part of the definition because we classify them as accidents for vital statistical purposes regardless of the potential criminal responsibility that may arise from the incident.
Homicide - death at the hand of another person. A homicide is not necessarily a murder. The person responsible for causing the injuries may be charged in connection with the death or the prosecuting attorney may decline to file charges in certain circumstances.
Natural - death cause exclusively by disease. A death so classified usually falls under the jurisdiction of the coroner because of the sudden or unexpected nature of the death, because there was no physician with knowledge or awareness of the decedent's condition, or when circumstances surrounding the death arouse suspicion. It should be stressed that the natural deaths investigated by the coroner's office may not be representative of all natural deaths in the general population, because these jurisdictional considerations introduce a significant sampling bias. Diligent search for medical history can often result in death certification by a knowledgeable physician, rather than by a government agency.
Suicide - death caused by an act if the decedent with the intent to kill themselves.
Undetermined – used when a reasonable classification cannot be made.
4477 Carver Woods Dr - Blue Ash, OH 45242
(513) 946-8730
8am-4pm Mon-Fri
(513) 946-8772
Hamilton County Coroner & Crime Laboratory
Dr. Lakshmi Kode Sammarco
(513) 946-8700