Medical Examiner's Office Continues Push to Gain Back Accreditation

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Nearly a dozen death investigators with the State Medical Examiner's Office have passed a national test, as part of the agency's push to gain back its national accreditation.

The agency lost its national accreditation back in the Spring of 2009. Among the shortfalls within the agency, an inspector noted was that there was a lack of nationally certified investigators who were part of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators.

The inspector noted that at the time, there were no Tulsa investigators registered with the ABMDI, and only one of eight investigators was registered with the ABMDI in Oklahoma City.

Since the inspection, eleven death investigators have attended training and passed a national test to become part of the ABMDI.

Currently, all seven death investigators in Oklahoma City are certified.

The ABMDI is a "nationally certified group designed to ensure the quality of death scene investigations by testing the abilities of those who are employed to do such work," according to a M.E.'s office press release.

"We are very proud of our investigators who have passed this national test and hope this will help bolster and maintain confidence in our agency as we move forward during this critical time," said Medical Examiner's Office Spokesperson Cherokee Ballard in a press release.

More:

• Oklahoma ME's Office Loses Accreditation