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Forensic Pathology & Death Investigations in Pima County Green Valley Council Gregory L. Hess, MD Chief Medical Examiner Pima County Office of the Medical Exa
Forensic Pathology & Death Investigations in Pima County
Green Valley Council
Gregory L. Hess, MDChief Medical ExaminerPima County Office of the Medical Examiner
Overview Purpose of it all Brief history of death investigation
Coroner, Medical Examiner, Forensic Pathologist
Death investigation systems Arizona death investigation Pima County
Office specifics Types of death
Purpose of the Medical Examiner’s Office
Determines cause and manner of death of decedents that fall under jurisdiction of ME
Aid justice system Collect evidence Testify Interpret injury Estimate postmortem interval Assist both prosecution and defense
Purpose of the Medical Examiner’s Office
Public health Report deaths due to communicable
disease Authorize cremation Tissue and organ donation Vital statistics
Assist families Answer questions Timely death certification for funeral
arrangements
Medical Examiner Jurisdiction
No doctor available to sign death certificate
Violence Sudden and unexpected Threat to public health Prisoner or in a prison Suspicious, unusual, unnatural Related to occupation Related to medical procedure Unidentified
What’s The Difference? Coroner Forensic Pathologist Medical Examiner
Coroner Often elected, term limit Qualification specified by local law May not have any medical
background Concept from England Minimal practical modern use
Forensic Pathologist Physician (pathologist) Additional training in forensics Work in larger population centers Criminal case work and testimony Pima County runs a Forensic
Pathologist managed death investigation system
No coroners in Arizona, only ME’s and alternate ME’s
Medical Examiner Often appointed by government
without term limit Often a physician (can be any
kind) May be appointed non-physician
May not be a Forensic Pathologist Non-Forensic Pathologist medical
examiner’s in AZ are called ‘alternate medical examiner’s’ by statute
Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner
(PCOME) Construction completed in 1989 Renovated 2003-2005 Staff of 33 Storage capacity of 262 full
remains ~150 remains currently on
location to include skeletal remains
PCOME Nationally accredited, one of 75 in
US, only accredited office in AZ Post-doctoral fellowship in
Forensic Anthropology, only such program in US
~60% of operating budget covered by revenue
Lowest per capita cost for death investigation (>200,000) in AZ
Total Cases 2004 - 2013
MANNER OF DEATH - 2012
Homicide 2009 - 2012
Homicide by Cause - 2012
Accident by Cause - 2012
Overdose Deaths by Manner - 2012
Overdose Deaths by Drug - 2012
Overdose Deaths 2010-2012
MVA by Type - 2012
Suicide by Cause - 2012
Natural Deaths by Cause - 2012
UBC Deaths 2001 - 2013
Questions?
