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Chief Medical Examiner warns facility limits threaten accreditation, cites need for new building and storage capacity
Summary
Deputy chief medical examiner told the subcommittee that staffing issues have been resolved with three new medical examiners, but the office lacks autopsy table capacity and secure refrigerated storage; the agency said those facility constraints risk loss of national accreditation and requested a capital project to replace or expand space.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) told the Appropriations subcommittee that staffing has improved but the office’s physical plant remains a bottleneck for autopsy throughput and refrigerated storage.
Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Deidre (Dr.) DeJoseph said OCME has recently hired three full‑time medical examiners, which has addressed prior staffing shortfalls. She added, however, that the agency’s autopsy suite has only five tables — four clustered in one room — and that refrigerator capacity is limited. To handle overflow the office continues to use a refrigerated tractor‑trailer to store decedents when in‑building capacity is exceeded.
Why this matters: OCME’s ability to complete forensic examinations in a timely manner affects death investigations, public‑safety inquiries and the availability of timely death certificates. The agency also said facility shortcomings have triggered ongoing accreditation concerns.
Accreditation and capital plan
OCME officials told members they are working with the bond commission and the Department of Administrative Services on a new facility project. DeJoseph said the agency’s staffing shortfall — previously a primary accreditation issue — has been resolved, but facility standards maintained by the accreditation body include minimum space for autopsy work, secure storage and evidence processing. Commissioner staff said the project is in design and logistics discussions but paused pending decisions about the best siting for a new facility.
Security, IT and maintenance
OCME also described recurring costs for perimeter security, maintenance of information systems (including the electronic death registration system) and toxicology contract changes that have added pressure to other‑expense lines. Deputy Chief DeJoseph said the office has added contracted security coverage that previously was funded centrally; the subcommittee asked for the total cost of security and other recurring contracts.
Follow up: OCME agreed to provide the subcommittee with (1) a breakdown of contracted security costs and (2) details on the capital project schedule and the facility functional program used for bond planning.
Ending: Committee members acknowledged improved staffing but underscored the urgency of a capital solution to avoid the risk of losing national accreditation and to ensure timely medico‑legal examinations.
