About the Office of the Medical Examiner

Mission

The Mission of the medical examiner is to conduct expert medicolegal investigations into deaths that occur under statutorily prescribed circumstances. The findings of these investigations are then independently shared with members of the public and relevant agencies to improve public safety and health.

Vision

By having licensed practitioners and professionally trained staff who conduct medicolegal investigations and adhere to industry standards in a setting that is striving for industry accreditation, we aspire to establish ourselves as a trustworthy source of accurate, scientifically supported assessments of deaths in our community.

Core Values

Service – The highest value that we uphold is service. We pledge to provide efficient, uplifting, moral, and compassionate service to the general public and to one another.

Integrity - We commit to conduct ourselves in a respectful and professional manner at all times when interacting with the people we serve and with one another. We commit to doing our best to be sincere, moral, and diligent. We commit to taking responsibility for our own words and deeds and to developing an organization that upholds integrity by demanding the same of others. When no one is looking, we still act morally.

Compassion - We agree to practice empathy for one another and the people we serve, as well as to be aware of the potential negative effects of our words and deeds on others. We understand that speaking openly and kindly, even in the midst of disagreement, is an act of compassion.

Positivity - We understand that perspective is important to attitude and that accurate assessments do not need to be pessimistic. We promise to face obstacles with a constructive mindset.

Adaptability - We understand that nothing remains the same. We pledge to look for the good in change and recognize that it presents an opportunity for development.

Teamwork - We understand how crucial it is to collaborate with people outside of our department and other department members; everyone on the team has a part to play. We strive to foster a positive, cooperative, service- and solution-oriented culture.

Boundaries - We understand that there are boundaries within which we must talk, act, and for our team to succeed, each member must put their all into playing their part. We pledge to work within the parameters of our responsibilities while being careful not to to take on inappropriate roles or to criticize or undermine those in other jobs.

The Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner (DCOME) is divided into Departmental Sections based on the following services:

Administration and Administration Support - Provide leadership and overall direction of the Department. Administrative support is comprised of business support, reception, scheduling, records management, data entry, and validation for electronic death certificates. This section also includes a Bereavement Coordinator who serves as a family advocate to assist bereaved family members in interacting with DCOME.

Morgue Operations - Forensic Pathologists who are physician staff trained and Board Certified in the medical subspecialty of forensic pathology. They make jurisdictional case decisions, conduct postmortem examinations, certify deaths, review records and results, formulate medical conclusions, and author DCOME’s final work product, the Medical Examiner Report. This section also includes a Forensic Odontologist, who is Board Certified, providing forensic specialist expertise in identifications.

Autopsy Technicians - Provide technical support for the examination of bodies admitted to DCOME’s facility, assist with performing radiographs, taking photographs, and aiding in autopsy dissections. Additional duties include fingerprinting and photography.

Forensic Investigations - Led by the Chief of Forensic Investigations, who is certified by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) for Medicolegal Death Investigations who leads the team to conduct interviews, collect evidence and photograph the scene and body, evaluate scenes, and gather records and histories. They are the eyes and ears of the Medical Examiners and are most often the face of the agency, interacting with other agency partners and the public.

Evidence - The Evidence Technician is responsible for assisting and administering security, distribution, maintenance, and inventory of all collected evidence. The Evidence Tech safeguards the chain of custody of all evidence.