Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Leah Schupner updated the committee on the Marathon County Forensic Science Center and operational changes since transitioning to a physician-led medical examiner'run office.

Dr. Schupner said the office completed the transition to a physician-led system and hired a second forensic pathologist, Dr. Kate Schubert, who started in August; the office moved into the new Forensic Science Center on July 10 and completed its first autopsy there shortly after. She described the facility:

- A Sally Port and intake area for decedent receipt and evidence handling; a tissue-donation suite with a separate cooler cage to facilitate tissue recovery within required time windows; cooler and freezer racking that can house 49 decedents and the capacity to add refrigerated trailer storage for surge or mass-fatality events.

- A full-body X-ray (Fobus) that the office can use routinely to expedite imaging (a front and side full-body X-ray in about 20 seconds) and reduce the need for multiple plain films.

- An autopsy suite with multiple stations and an isolation suite with audio-visual connections to an observation room so law enforcement and students can view procedures remotely.

Dr. Schupner said the office now offers forensic pathology and medical pathology services (including hospital autopsies and private family-requested autopsies), and the office can perform tissue and surgical hardware removal on request. She reviewed staffing: the office has autopsy supervisors, an investigations manager, three medical-legal investigator positions and plans to be fully staffed at eight after a new hire at month'end; some roles are adapting to the physician-led model and staff have taken on new duties.

Operational outreach: the office is onboarding referral counties (Lincoln, Portage, Monroe, Marinette, Shawano, Price, Burnett and Clark) and has sent welcome packets to roughly 40 counties in northern Wisconsin; it is coordinating backup coverage with other physician-led offices in the region. Schupner said the office is assessing staffing needs as referral volume grows and is considering additional front-desk support and autopsy technicians when necessary.

Committee members thanked Dr. Schupner for the update; no policy vote was taken.