Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Bill Ralston

Dr. Bill Ralston is the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Dr. Ralston has been a medical examiner since 2005 and the Chief for Kentucky's program since 2016. Prior to that time, he attended the University of Louisville School of medicine, completed a forensic pathology fellowship at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Louisville Kentucky, and then served as a medical examiner in Kentucky. In 2008, he became the Chief Deputy Coroner/Senior Forensic Pathologist in Hamilton County (Cincinnati) Ohio, until returning to Kentucky to accept his current position.

He is board certified in anatomic and forensic pathology and has held faculty positions at University of Louisville, University of Cincinnati, and University of Kentucky. He has trained forensic pathology fellows, taught medical students and other medical and non-medical professionals around the world, as well as, lectured around the country to law enforcement regarding death investigation.

​Dr. Ralston has multiple publications, regularly conducts coroner training, teaches law enforcement locally and around the country, participates in multiple local and statewide fatality/mortality panels and mass disaster preparedness committees, and serves as the forensic pathology fellowship director at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner through the University of Louisville. His awards and accolades including, but not limited to, the "Wolfe Award" for outstanding services to the Coroner/Medical Examiner program in Kentucky, the "LC McCloud Award" for exceptional service to the Kentucky Medical Examiner Office, Maternal and Child Health "Outstanding Public Service Award" and Hamilton County (Ohio) "Employee of the Year Leadership Award" speak to his qualifications relating to service and leadership.