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

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?