From Doctor to Coroner

Dr. Janine Snetter Darby believes that everyone has a purpose in life, and hers is to serve her community.

So, when she was asked to run for public office not once, but twice — she said yes.

Darby lives in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, with her college sweetheart, Chád Darby, a 1992 graduate of the School of Computer Science, and their four children. In 2020, she and her daughter founded Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing awareness around marginalized individuals’ issues and advocacy to eliminate discrimination and ignorance in their local school district and surrounding community.

Their work caught the attention of community members, who asked Darby to run for a position on the Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors in 2021. She agreed and won the election.

“With that position, I looked at it as having a seat at the table, helping make changes in my community, bringing people together and continuing to advocate for those who are unable to speak up for themselves,” said Darby, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological science in 1995 from the Mellon College of Science.

Less than two years later, she was asked to run for another office — county coroner.

A Doctor’s Perspective

Darby is an award-winning double board-certified obesity and family physician with more than 20 years of experience in the medical field. She also is the owner of Lifestyle Changes, a virtual medical practice that offers weight management and corporate wellness programs.

Being a coroner was not on her bucket list, but after some thought, she said she realized she could bring value to the role.

“As I was campaigning, everybody asked me, ‘Why do you want to be the coroner?’” Darby said. “I was like, ‘I didn't.’ I didn't want to be because as a doctor, I heal and keep people alive. That's what I do. We talk about preventative medicine, being proactive and keeping you healthy and well.

“When I thought about it more, I said to myself, ‘I can utilize this platform in a different way to talk about preventable death causes such as heart disease, substance abuse and suicide prevention.’”

She won the election and took office in January 2024.

“It's been a whirlwind of a year. I just came in and started getting things done because they really didn't have a hands-on coroner here, like a leader for this office, for almost a decade,” she said. “So it was getting in here, reviewing and enhancing policies and procedures. Also, looking over the wages of our staff members and making sure they were fair and equitable. I was able to upgrade some positions and also increase some wages in the office. And I did that in record time.”

Darby also focused on increasing education and awareness during her first year. Her office hosted seminars for nurses, first and last responders, law enforcement and forensics students, as well as open houses and multiple events for the community.

“We were explaining to the community what we do, why we do what we do, and how we go through death investigations to ultimately provide closure to the decedent’s family members,” she said.

Compassionate Communication

There are approximately 8,000 deaths in Montgomery County each year. About 1,000 of those require investigation to determine the cause and manner of death. The cause is the medical reason for the death, while the manner is a legal classification — natural, homicide, suicide, accident or undetermined.

Darby leads the investigations. She reviews autopsies, collaborates with the district attorney and law enforcement and communicates with family members of the decedents. The last part can be difficult, but her medical background helps.

“I find myself to be in a unique situation because I am a doctor. Not all coroners are doctors,” Darby said. “I'm able to break down, in layperson's terms, what we're seeing anatomically, the pathophysiology, and why the death happened so I can communicate that to families.”

That communication is key, because most of Darby’s cases are suspicious or unexpected deaths.

“At the heart of it all is providing that closure to the decedent's loved one by explaining the cause and manner of death,” she said. “And that's our mission here. To make sure that we accurately assign the cause and manner of death for each decedent that comes in the door and we provide that closure to the family.”

Critical Support

Darby has three years remaining in her term on the Township Board of Supervisors, where she has been Chairwoman for two years, and three years remaining in her term as county coroner. Add in her medical practice and nonprofit work, and it’s a lot to balance.

But, she has the support she needs to make it work, thanks to her other roles as a wife and mother.

“I would say those two things are far more important than anything else I've done,” Darby said. “I want to give [my family] a shout out because I couldn't do it alone.”

She said she is also thankful for the people who have always believed in her, including her CMU mentors — Susan Henry, former dean of the Mellon College of Science, and the late Gloria Hill, former assistant dean of Dietrich College and former director of the Carnegie Mellon Action Project.

“I wouldn't have been able to do all these things without these two people as mentors, seeing me and believing in me and knowing that I could do more,” Darby said.

Regardless of what she’s working on, she said she is happy knowing she is making a difference and living out her purpose.

“Each of these things, whether I'm a wife, mom, doctor, nonprofit executive or elected official definitely contribute to who I am,” Darby said. “I see each one of these roles as a way to serve. I'm serving my family, serving my community and just trying my best to make the world a better place to live in.”

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