Nurse practitioner challenges 20-year veteran for Richland County coroner
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The State’s candidate questionnaire for SC 2020 Primary Election Day
Several state and local primary elections are held in South Carolina on June 9, 2020. Read The State’s questionnaires below to hear straight from your candidates.
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A nurse practitioner and the 20-year incumbent are vying to be the Richland County coroner in the June 9 primary.
Naida Rutherford is challenging for the office. She is a nurse practitioner who says her decades of experience in the medical field will allow her to modernize the coroner’s office.
Gary Watts is running for reelection. He was first elected in 2000 and touts more than 40 years of experience with death investigations.
The coroner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of suspicious deaths, which, generally, dictates if a death will be criminally investigated. Depending on who leads the office, the coroner often creates initiatives to decrease preventable deaths such as the death of babies in cribs and suicides.
Naida Rutherford
Age: 39
Education: Benedict College, B.S. biology; Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College, ADN nursing; University of South Carolina Upstate, BSN nursing; University of South Carolina, MSN nursing; Emory University Ostomy Care Certification; the Medical University of South Carolina Wound Care Certification
Political experience: no personal political experience other than helping on campaigns as a volunteer.
Professional experience: I have managed and cared for thousands of patients which have included: emergency, trauma, hospice, infectious disease, community health, home care, surgical, end of life care, wound and ostomy care, and sexual assault victims.
In addition, I have managed and led hundreds of nurses over my 14 years as a health care professional and department head. I have served as a medical and wound expert witness on legal cases that have involved multiple examples of trauma and degradation of the human body. I have worked as an expert in investigations related to negligent care, the mistreatment of the elderly, and other vulnerable adults where abuse was suspected.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Florida but have been a resident of Richland County since 1999 when I moved here to attend Benedict College.
What do you think the coroner’s office does well? I believe the office has tried to remain updated over the years with new equipment, advanced record-keeping systems, and certifications; however, I believe we still continue to lag behind in these areas, in addition to other areas.
What do you think (the agency/office the person is running for) should do better? I believe there are a number of steps that can be taken to modernize the office and department so that it is more transparent and focused on the needs of our citizens. Examples include an increase in community access to records and investigators regarding the death of a loved one, increased transparency and education on the duties of the office, and how the office can assist and impact our citizens day-to-day.
Furthermore, I believe an increase in community engagement on a micro-level in promoting health and wellness, advanced directive drives, living-well classes, death plan initiatives and developing and structuring programs centered on the needs of our communities are all essential to modernizing the office. I believe the office should have a greater impact on families and not just in cases of trauma and bereavement.
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
1. Providing clinical expertise in deriving medical conclusions at the head of the office. Currently, the office looks to sources outside of the office because the current coroner does not have the medical and expert training needed to draw expert and medically sound determinations. My experience and background will potentially save the county and taxpayers over $100,000 annually when I am elected.
2. Independent review of cases. My non-law enforcement background provides an independent and unbiased perspective that will ensure all deaths, whether police-related or not, are properly and thoroughly reviewed, and conclusions made will be independent and without influence or prejudice.
3. Increase in community access and presence. It is important that the citizens of Richland County know that the office and the services offered are for the people. Their access and involvement should not be limited to a FAQ section on an outdated website. I believe there are times when the actual personnel within the office should be personally involved in assisting families to navigate their concerns and I will direct my office to conduct the business of the office in a compassionate, fair and unbiased manner.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know? I am running because I have the experience, the qualifications, and the energy to move the office forward. I have a unique skill set that will bring innovation and enhance the office to make it more productive for the citizens of Richland County.
I pledge that I will make our communities proud and hopefully inspire others to serve. I will truly be humbled if this girl who grew up poor, in foster care, and without a family, is voted to serve the people of this county as a professional and dedicated woman. I look forward to this day and serving the people of this great county.
When I am elected coroner, sadly I will be the first African American and the first woman to hold the office. It is sad that in 2020 we are still experiencing a first like this; however, it is exciting that we have an opportunity to modernize the office and become a leader in the state and country on how a coroner’s office can have an impact within a community outside of trauma and death.
Gary M. Watts
Age: 63
Education: Graduate of ABMDI at St. Louis Medical School; instructor at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy; South Carolina Coroners Association; and International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners
Political experience: The first and only political position I ever ran for and won was for Richland County Coroner. I’ve held this position for the past 19 years.
Professional experience: I have just over 40 years of experience in the field of death investigation and I have investigated over 55,000 deaths. I am the current president of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners and an ongoing-member of the South Carolina Coroners Association Board of Directors.
Where did you grow up? Columbia S.C.
What do you think the coroner’s does well? Having great leadership skills is important while working hand in hand with the community creating and implementing programs for the betterment of the citizens we serve. You have to care about the citizens and employees who work with you. Making sure each task is handled with perfection and always with the utmost respect and dignity.
Taking care of the ones that no one else claims by conducting the funeral services that we perform three to four times a year. Treating those that have been forgotten or abandoned with respect and dignity by this office.
Our collecting and distribution of blankets, shoes, coats, and sleeping bags for the homeless population.
Our C.A.R.E. Team (Community Awareness Resources Education) offers support and counseling to members of our community that have lost a loved one.
Our youth program is in place to help deter and prevent bad decisions our kids may make and to ward off horrific results of these decisions.
Our Safe Sleep program is designed to teach parents and caregivers proper guidance on how to place an infant down to sleep. This has led to a decrease in unsafe sleep deaths in our county.
Our new suicide support program offers immediate support to families and loved ones who may lose someone to a completed suicide.
Our annual memorial service which takes place right around Christmas brings families together with other families to help them cope with the holiday season a little easier.
What do you think the coroner’s office should do better?
Continue to work hard at putting an end to preventable deaths. Implementing programs to help educate is the key to slowing and/or ending preventable baby deaths. We can help to save those precious little lives and we won’t stop until we can reduce those numbers to zero. Keeping my finger on the pulse of the community listening and responding to your concerns. This will always give me the edge to address the important issues we may be facing daily. Working hand in hand to find solutions and resources to issues or concerns. Even though we have implemented these programs we are still losing our loved ones to preventable deaths. One is too many and we will continue to provide the above programs and any other programs that can help us educate and prevent these senseless tragedies.
What are the top three issues in this campaign, and how specifically would you address them?
We are in a new era with COVID-19, so protecting the citizens at the polls should be of utmost importance. When you talk about the possibility of “mail in” ballots or online voting we have to ensure legitimacy and protect against cyber-attacks. Also, getting out to campaign could be a bit of a challenge, this is where your track record and social media plays an important role. During this pandemic our team made sure to prepare for any emergency situations that we may be confronted with and we implemented our mass casualty plan. Our supervisors met everyday to stay updated on progress, stats, and needs not only for our deputy coroners but also for the citizens we serve. We collected essential items to create senior care bags that we delivered to our senior citizens which included toilet tissue, hand sanitizer, soap, water, paper towels, and more. It was so successful that we did a second round of the bags for additional seniors. We wanted to make sure that during this new normal we are living in our most precious citizens were taken care of. Experience, experience, experience is the most important factor to possess when confronted with emergencies that can and will occur. Over my career I have worked for the citizens who’ve entrusted me to do the job without fail. I’ve always made sure to put the people first, to understand their needs, and to make sure they know their concerns are important and handled with the care they expect. Our office is going to handle every family as if it were our own; it’s just that important to me.
Tell us something important about you that you want voters to know?
I take it very personally when we lose a member of our community to senseless preventable deaths i.e. improperly installed or no car seats, unsafe sleep, overdoses, and suicides. That is why I am so adamant about creating programs and working with other agencies, churches, and community groups to put positive programs into action. This will be done in order to try and make a difference. We are strongest when we work together and I know we can make that difference.
I am honored to serve as your coroner with a history of service to you. In this world of unknowns I want to be that sense of stability, that reliable source of comfort, knowing you can count on me to help ease the pain or any uncertainty that may be plaguing you. I want to continue to educate, create and implement successful programs and to make the quality of life better for us because we are all connected in this thing we call life. You are my family, my friends, my neighbors and together we will build a better future for our children.
As your coroner, I will continue to work hard for you every day. You’ve trusted me with this responsibility and I do not take it lightly or for granted. I humbly ask for your continued support and your vote for me in this upcoming election.
This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 9:46 AM.
