The Clark County Office of the Medical Examiner (CCMEO) investigates deaths to determine jurisdiction and establish cause and manner of death for persons dying of unnatural circumstances in Clark County. CCMEO is accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) since 2005, and currently operates under the administrative oversight of the public health department. In addition to serving Clark County residents, the office contracts with Klickitat and Skamania counties to provide forensic autopsy services. The CCMEO team is composed of skilled, multi-disciplinary staff with a Chief Medical Examiner, Associate Medical Examiner, 3 Autopsy technicians, 1 Lead Death Investigator, 5 death investigators, contract forensic pathologists, operations leadership, and staff.
Medical Examiner services are provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include death scene investigation, removal, locating and notifying next of kin, performing autopsies, interpreting toxicology results, identification of decedents, consulting with partners to determine opinions for archeologically significant remains and assisting the Washington State Archeologist to coordinate repatriation and reinternment, determination of nonhuman remains, necropsies, and providing consultative services to law enforcement agencies and to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The Office is responsible for signing death certificates for jurisdictional deaths, reviewing disposition authorizations, maintaining appropriate records, evidence collection, chain of custody, and safeguarding the personal property found with decedents. The Office also maintains responsibility for the disposition of the remains of unclaimed indigent persons who have died in Clark County.
The Chief Medical Examiner, a single incumbent position, is responsible for fulfilling all statutory and operational duties and works in conjunction with the Operations Manager and Community Health Director in establishing and updating policies and procedures and provides technical expertise to maintain national accreditation for the department. The Chief Medical Examiner is the direct supervisor of the Associate Medical Examiner and all contract pathologists. This position manages morgue operations and provides technical supervision of the Autopsy Technicians. The Chief Medical Examiner has broad responsibility and considerable latitude for independent judgment and works autonomously in the performance of daily activities.
Incumbent typically works in a climate-controlled morgue suite requiring employee to handle biological evidence and work with chemicals, fumes and odors from lab chemicals. Additionally, incumbent may work in an office setting for purposes of documentation and report writing and may possibly be subjected to adverse weather and environment conditions when responding to an occasional death scene. Work involves management of multiple priorities and can involve face-to-face interactions in stressful or sensitive situations.
Knowledge of:
- Forensic pathology best practices, NAME accreditation standards, and principles and practices of death investigation.
- Medical and legal aspects surrounding sudden and unnatural death; methods, practices, equipment, and procedures of handling deceased individuals.
- Data collection, statistical analysis and report writing principles and techniques; laws, rules, and regulations affecting certification of death, release of bodies, custody of the property of deceased persons and related matters; medical examiner office accreditation requirements.
Abilities Include:
Prepare detailed technical reports; resolve complex investigations of death; use strong interpersonal skills, including ability to interact and cooperate with co-workers and partner with law enforcement personnel, attorneys, elected officials and the general public; communicates effectively both orally and in writing. Demonstrates integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior.
- Performs 150 – 200 postmortem examinations per year.
- Retains samples, specimens, and tissues necessary for analysis, examination, and documentation.
- Prepares detailed technical examination reports using appropriate reporting form and convention; ensures the confidentiality of all reports and records of autopsies or postmortem examinations.
- Issues preliminary reports in writing, of the cause of death where such determination is not dependent upon further investigation.
- Keeps and maintains appropriate records, reports, and other documentation regarding investigations as well as physical evidence transferred from other investigative agencies.
- Provides supervision for Associate Medical Examiner and Autopsy Technician staff. In coordination with the Community Health Director, directs the hiring of incumbent(s) in the Associate Medical Examiner classification.
- Plans, directs, and evaluates the work of Autopsy Technicians.
- May request, within budget constraints, arrangements for other investigative services not available as customary or usual from the County, e.g., anthropology, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, DNA testing, etc., at County expense as necessary.
- Confers with and provides expert testimony on cases performed as required by the Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney, and other law enforcement officials.
- Assists in the maintenance of office accreditation by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME).
- In conjunction with the Community Health Director and Operations Manager, directs the development and implementation of department goals and objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards for the Office.
- Confers with death investigators and uses judgment to determine need to attend death scenes or discovery of remains.
- Recommends and assists in the implementation of goals and objectives and assists with establishing schedules and methods for providing medical examiner services.
- Provides annual budget recommendations to the Operations Manager.
- Meets with family members of decedents as requested.
- Performs other related duties as required.
