Albany County staff outline plan to transition from coroner to medical examiner model

Albany County legislative staff presented an initial analysis to the Law Committee on a proposed change to the county charter that would move Albany County from its current coroner system to a medical examiner model.

The presentation, delivered by Faye Feder of the county executive’s office, framed the proposal as the start of a multi-step process that could include a cross-county shared-services agreement or, in the longer term, a regional forensic center. "Our recommendation at this point is to pursue a cross county partnership with another county," Feder said.

The report said key differences between the models include appointment of a medical examiner (rather than electing coroners) and the expectation that medical examiners be medically qualified. Feder told the committee that other counties have used partnerships as a transitional approach and that Onondaga County’s model with Oneida County is an example of an existing shared arrangement. "They've been doing it, I believe, for over 10 years at this point," she said.

Why it matters: Committee members said the proposal is intended to professionalize death investigation, address complaints about how some death scenes are handled, and respond to workforce challenges in forensic pathology. Faye Feder and county staff said the county is not proposing immediate action; instead, the presentation will inform further study and negotiations.

Details of the plan and next steps: Feder described a two-step path: first, identify a neighboring county with an existing, successful medical examiner operation and negotiate a pricing structure and shared-services agreement; second, evaluate whether a regional forensic facility makes sense in the longer term. Feder said funeral-home transport arrangements that currently operate in Albany County would likely remain unchanged.

Committee members asked about cost, local staffing and operational details. When a member asked whether the coroner positions would be retained under a middle-ground model, Feder replied, "No. I apologize if I misspoke. But the middle ground would be we get medical examiners and the coroners are no longer associated with that." Members also raised questions about death-certificate processing and how families would receive timely answers if another county handled investigations; Feder said those operational permissions and staffing questions would be part of negotiations with any partner county.

No motion to change the charter was made at the meeting. Feder and county officials described the presentation as the beginning of a series of discussions with the legislature and stakeholders before any proposed charter amendment is advanced.

The committee will return to the topic in future meetings with more detailed cost comparisons and proposed legal language for any shared-services agreement or charter amendment.