1. Forensic Pathology & Death Investigations in Pima County
Green Valley Council
Gregory L. Hess, MD
Chief Medical Examiner
Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. What’s The Difference?
Coroner
Forensic Pathologist
Medical Examiner

7. Coroner Often elected, term limit Qualification specified by local law
May not have any medical background
Concept from England
Minimal practical modern use

8. 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

9. 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

12. Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner (PCOME)
Construction completed in 1989
Renovated
Staff of 33
Storage capacity of 262 full remains
~150 remains currently on location to include skeletal remains

13. 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

17. Total Cases

18. MANNER OF DEATH

19. Homicide

20. Homicide by Cause

21. Accident by Cause

22. Overdose Deaths by Manner - 2012

23. Overdose Deaths by Drug - 2012

24. Overdose Deaths

25. MVA by Type

26. Suicide by Cause

27. Natural Deaths by Cause - 2012

28. UBC Deaths

30. Questions?