Valerie Caylor: Caring for the living and the deceased

Lincoln County Coroner Valerie Caylor may have an unusual job, but for her, it’s all about caring for people—whether they’re fighting for their lives or have already lost that battle.
“I think a lot of it is just telling their story,” said Caylor when asked why she transitioned from saving lives as a paramedic to investigating deaths as Coroner. “Everybody has a story. It’s making sure that their story is told, but on top of it, it’s making sure that a family gets answers.”

Balancing two demanding careers
Caylor divides her professional life between two demanding roles. She works as a flight paramedic at Lifelink based at the Rhinelander airport three days a week while also serving as Lincoln County’s elected Coroner. Both positions require her to be ready at a moment’s notice, though in very different capacities.
“We’re always on call,” said Caylor about her Coroner duties. “You never know what’s going to happen. It’s definitely not a nine-to-five job. I can get called multiple times during the night and be up most of the night and during the day. So you never really know what your day or your night is going to hold.”

From childhood inspiration to medical career
Her path to becoming a medical professional began in childhood. Growing up in the Arpin community outside Marshfield, Caylor was immersed in emergency services because her mother served as a volunteer first responder.
“I grew up in it. That was something my mom was in for years,” said Caylor. “As a kid growing up, we were part of the fire department, because that’s what you did. It’s a family. It’s a huge family.”
Initially heading to UW for college with different plans, Caylor’s true calling became clear during an English assignment about future career goals. After writing about becoming a paramedic, her professor asked, “Why are you here? Why are you wasting your time? I can tell this is what you want to do.”

Flight paramedicine

Caylor enrolled at Mid-State Technical College and earned her associate degree in paramedicine in 2009. She continued advancing her medical training, obtaining her critical care license and flight paramedic certification.
“It’s more schooling, more tests, more things to prove that you’re at that critical care level,” Caylor explained. “The flight paramedic certification is actually a board certified test to show that pretty much you have the most knowledge that a paramedic can get at their level.”

Taking on the Coroner’s role
Before becoming Lincoln County Coroner, Caylor worked for Marathon County as a Deputy Medical Examiner and later served as a Deputy Coroner in Lincoln County under the previous Coroner. When he decided to retire, she ran for the position and was elected.
In addition to her Lincoln County duties, Caylor also mentors the newly appointed medical examiner in Oneida County.

“They had some turnover with their medical examiner’s office up there, and I was approached by their county just to help, just to be somebody that they could bounce ideas off of,” said Caylor. “If their new medical examiner has questions, she calls me. We kind of talk over everything together.”

Improving Lincoln County facilities
One of Caylor’s proudest accomplishments as Coroner was securing a cooler facility for Lincoln County—a significant upgrade that benefits both the Coroner’s office and the community. During COVID, the need for secure storage became apparent, as hospitals and funeral homes have limited capacity, she said.
“Our hospitals don’t have a ton of storage, and the same with our funeral homes,” said Caylor. “We needed something secure, especially for criminal cases, to make sure that we were doing everything correctly.”
After researching options and negotiating with suppliers, Caylor managed to acquire a cooler for $17,000—less than half the initial quote of $40,000. The facility now provides secure, dignified storage for up to 12 deceased individuals.

Working to prevent future deaths
Beyond investigating deaths, Caylor participates in a Death Review Committee that examines trends and works on prevention strategies. Recent focus areas include suicide prevention targeting appropriate age groups, addressing financial stress as a suicide factor, and improving safe sleeping practices to prevent infant deaths.
“The whole point of the Death Review Committee is what can we prevent, what death can we prevent for the county,” Caylor explained.

Beyond county lines
Her work as Coroner extends beyond Lincoln County’s borders. When necessary, Caylor transports deceased individuals to Madison for autopsies and stays throughout the procedure, working directly with forensic pathologists.

“I stay during the autopsy. I’m actually in the autopsy suite right with the pathologist while they’re doing the autopsy,” said Caylor. “And then I will bring [someone’s] loved one back home to our county.”

Maintaining balance amid difficult work
Despite handling life and death daily, Caylor maintains her mental health through simple pleasures like reading fiction, gardening, and taking walks. Her employer, Lifelink, also provides excellent support for staff dealing with traumatic situations.
“We have a specialty care team that is day or night that are there for us. If we want to pick up the phone, we can call, we can text, they’re there,” said Caylor. “Our bosses are on the phone with us, ‘Hey, are you okay? Do you need a break? Do you want to talk about it?’”
Whether she’s helping save lives or investigating how they ended, Valerie Caylor approaches her work with the same care and dedication—serving area residents at their most vulnerable moments.