Chief medical examiner seeks $3.5 million to preserve staffing, accreditation and lab capacity

Chief Medical Examiner Eric Pfeiffer told the Appropriations and Budget Committee that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner needs a $3.5 million increase in appropriations to recruit and retain forensic pathologists and cover rising operational costs.

Pfeiffer, who identified a 34‑person agency staff on the state’s payroll, said the office now completes about 90% of cases within 90 days but has experienced cost pressures from higher salaries for pathologists, IT and medical supplies. He described the office’s growth from a one‑doctor shop into a nationally accredited forensic operation with toxicology, CT scanning and a fellowship program that helped recruit staff from across the country.

The requested increase is driven largely by personnel costs, Pfeiffer said. He told the committee that market forces and a nationwide shortage of forensic…