Medical Examiner warns of August cash shortfall after accreditation gains

Director Pfeiffer, head of the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office, told the Legislature that after a 15-year effort his office has restored full national accreditation, expanded its physician roster from five to 18 and improved investigator coverage statewide. He and staff highlighted faster processing: toxicology now completes about 99% of cases within 90 days and pathologists complete roughly 95% of autopsies within that same timeframe.

Lawmakers were shown trends the office attributes to higher reporting and process improvements: reported deaths handled by the office grew from about 20,000 in 2010 to roughly 35,000 today and cremation permits have roughly doubled. Timothy, a staff analyst, said the office’s paperless permitting and staffing gains cut cremation permit turnaround to about four hours from several days a decade ago.

Despite the improvements, Pfeiffer said the agency is “burning through” reserve cash and warned that, if appropriations remain flat, the medical examiner’s special fund could be depleted by August. He detailed capital and operating needs including an $800,000 mass spectrometer and an expansion of toxicology lab space to the third floor. Pfeiffer said a recent Health Department grant of $485,000 helped purchase one machine, but replacements and space remain pressing.

Pfeiffer asked legislators to consider roughly $4.5 million in additional resources—about $3.5 million for payroll to retain physicians and investigators and about $1 million for operational increases—to sustain coverage and maintain accreditation. He emphasized that staffing growth to required regional market levels is the primary recurring cost.

Committee members pressed staff on the remaining delays families experienced in receiving death certificates. Dr. Lanner of Tulsa said most delays now come when outside clinicians do not promptly sign death certificates or when jurisdictional transfers occur, and urged funeral homes and families to contact the office directly when they believe a case has fallen through. Pfeiffer and staff reiterated that most certificates are now completed within 90 days in more than 95% of cases.

The hearing closed this topic with the committee collecting the agency’s materials and offering follow-up requests for geographic coverage details and additional financial documentation. The committee recessed and moved to the next agency.