Harris County
Deputy Chief Medical Examiner
The Deputy Chief Medical Examiner oversees all Medical Examiner Services including Pathology, Morgue, Histology, Anthropology, Imaging, and Investigations to ensure compliance with statutory and accreditation standards. The role involves conducting medicolegal death investigations, performing autopsies, providing expert court testimony, and teaching forensic pathology trainees.
Key Responsibilities
- • Conducts and completes medicolegal death investigations pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 49.25, including performing autopsies and external examinations of decedents; collecting histologic, toxicologic, and physical evidence; interpreting gross anatomic pathology and microscopic pathology; interpreting toxicologic results; reviewing and synthesizing of medical records and police reports; crafting timely and thorough autopsy reports; and signing death certificates on a timely basis (30% of duties)
- • Develops and implements appropriate quality assurance activities within the Pathology Division to ensure continuous compliance with accreditation requirements, relevant state statutes, and departmental policies. Documents case peer review, co-signs selected autopsy reports, and leads weekly QA and Peer Review Conferences. Works with the Quality Management Division to address nonconforming work and approves corrective and preventive actions in the Medical Examiner Services. Establishes goals for improvement each year and monitors progress during planned management reviews (20% of duties)
- • Coordinates administrative aspects, including development of and adherence to a yearly budget for the Medical Examiner Services; facilitates hiring, training, performance feedback, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions. Guides and mentors Assistant Medical Examiners in professional interactions with family members, law enforcement, and attorneys, in addition to offering feedback on their court testimony (20% of duties)
- • Directly supervises all staff within the Pathology Division as well as the Directors of the Investigations, Morgue & Histology, Anthropology & Emergency Management, and Forensic Imaging Divisions (10% of duties)
- • Monitors case management activities to ensure case distribution is equitable and reports are completed in a timely manner. Assumes on-call responsibilities, fielding questions of jurisdictional matters, organ / tissue donation, scene logistics, and other matters related to case investigation (10% of duties)
- • Provides expert testimony in criminal and civil court matters relating to medicolegal death investigations (including substitute testimony for other Assistant Medical Examiners who may not be available for testimony); prepares for testimony by attending depositions and pretrial conferences with attorneys as needed (5% of duties)
- • Is fully engaged in teaching activities at the Department including mentoring forensic pathology fellows, supervising medical residents, and providing guidance to medical students. Provides direct supervision and instruction in autopsy performance as well as instructional presentations and lectures as needed (5% of duties)
Required
- • Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), or Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
- • Completion of an ACGME-accredited (or equivalent) post-graduate residency program in anatomic / clinical pathology, and forensic pathology fellowship
- • Ten (10) years’ experience in forensic pathology and death investigation, including five years’ experience supervising others
- • Licensed to practice medicine in the state of Texas by the date of employment
- • Certification by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic pathology and forensic pathology by date of employment
- • Maintain a valid Texas Driver's License and ability to safely operate a motor vehicle
- • Must pass criminal background check and drug / alcohol screening (prior to and during employment)
- • As a public servant, this employee is expected to adequately prepare for court testimony in accordance with Department policies and procedures. Subpoenas and court orders related to cases worked by the employee shall be followed, even post-employment. The duty to adequately communicate with attorneys and prepare for testimony, which includes a review of the applicable case records, is still expected post-employment
- • Expertise in forensic pathology, general anatomic pathology, and broad foundational knowledge of other medical and surgical specialties
- • Ability to communicate effectively with lay, technical, medical, and legal audiences; ability to provide empathetic consultation with family members of decedents; dictate autopsy findings, edit autopsy reports, and provide testimony as required in civil and criminal proceedings
- • Must be able to calmly, effectively, and unambiguously express complex analytical conclusions and medical decisions in adversarial situations
- • Ability to make independent decisions, often in stressful situations
- • Ability to provide feedback in a constructive manner to a range of staff including professional personnel
- • Excellent time management skills, strategies, and abilities; ability to work independently with minimal supervision, prioritizing and handling multiple tasks simultaneously
- • Basic computer skills including Microsoft Office
Position Description
Mission
The Mission of the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is to provide medical examiner and crime laboratory services of the highest quality in an unbiased manner with uncompromised integrity.
Vision
The Deputy Chief Medical Examiner oversees all Medical Examiner Services – Pathology, Morgue, Histology, Anthropology, Imaging, and Investigations – ensuring statutory requirements are met, and medicolegal death investigation activities are in compliance with various applicable national accreditation standards; conducts medicolegal death investigations pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 49.25, including external examination of decedents as well as complete and partial autopsies, with appropriate evidence collection; provides testimonial evidence in court regarding medicolegal death investigations and evidence collected from bodies; and teaches trainees (forensic pathology fellows, pathology residents, medical residents, and medical students) about various aspects of medicolegal death investigation.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Requirements
Education:
General Information
Location:
Mission
The Mission of the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is to provide medical examiner and crime laboratory services of the highest quality in an unbiased manner with uncompromised integrity.
Vision
- To provide consistent, quality death investigation and laboratory analysis for the benefit of the entire community.
- To create a technological strongpoint for legal agencies to facilitate justice in criminal and civil proceedings.
- To establish an academic environment for training in the field of Forensic Science.
The Deputy Chief Medical Examiner oversees all Medical Examiner Services – Pathology, Morgue, Histology, Anthropology, Imaging, and Investigations – ensuring statutory requirements are met, and medicolegal death investigation activities are in compliance with various applicable national accreditation standards; conducts medicolegal death investigations pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 49.25, including external examination of decedents as well as complete and partial autopsies, with appropriate evidence collection; provides testimonial evidence in court regarding medicolegal death investigations and evidence collected from bodies; and teaches trainees (forensic pathology fellows, pathology residents, medical residents, and medical students) about various aspects of medicolegal death investigation.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Conducts and completes medicolegal death investigations pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 49.25, including performing autopsies and external examinations of decedents; collecting histologic, toxicologic, and physical evidence; interpreting gross anatomic pathology and microscopic pathology; interpreting toxicologic results; reviewing and synthesizing of medical records and police reports; crafting timely and thorough autopsy reports; and signing death certificates on a timely basis (30% of duties)
- Develops and implements appropriate quality assurance activities within the Pathology Division to ensure continuous compliance with accreditation requirements, relevant state statutes, and departmental policies. Documents case peer review, co-signs selected autopsy reports, and leads weekly QA and Peer Review Conferences. Works with the Quality Management Division to address nonconforming work and approves corrective and preventive actions in the Medical Examiner Services. Establishes goals for improvement each year and monitors progress during planned management reviews (20% of duties)
- Coordinates administrative aspects, including development of and adherence to a yearly budget for the Medical Examiner Services; facilitates hiring, training, performance feedback, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions. Guides and mentors Assistant Medical Examiners in professional interactions with family members, law enforcement, and attorneys, in addition to offering feedback on their court testimony (20% of duties)
- Directly supervises all staff within the Pathology Division as well as the Directors of the Investigations, Morgue & Histology, Anthropology & Emergency Management, and Forensic Imaging Divisions (10% of duties)
- Monitors case management activities to ensure case distribution is equitable and reports are completed in a timely manner. Assumes on-call responsibilities, fielding questions of jurisdictional matters, organ / tissue donation, scene logistics, and other matters related to case investigation (10% of duties)
- Provides expert testimony in criminal and civil court matters relating to medicolegal death investigations (including substitute testimony for other Assistant Medical Examiners who may not be available for testimony); prepares for testimony by attending depositions and pretrial conferences with attorneys as needed (5% of duties)
- Is fully engaged in teaching activities at the Department including mentoring forensic pathology fellows, supervising medical residents, and providing guidance to medical students. Provides direct supervision and instruction in autopsy performance as well as instructional presentations and lectures as needed (5% of duties)
Requirements
Education:
- Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), or Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
- Completion of an ACGME-accredited (or equivalent) post-graduate residency program in anatomic / clinical pathology, and forensic pathology fellowship
- Ten (10) years’ experience in forensic pathology and death investigation, including five years’ experience supervising others
- Licensed to practice medicine in the state of Texas by the date of employment
- Certification by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic pathology and forensic pathology by date of employment
- Maintain a valid Texas Driver's License and ability to safely operate a motor vehicle
- Must pass criminal background check and drug / alcohol screening (prior to and during employment)
- As a public servant, this employee is expected to adequately prepare for court testimony in accordance with Department policies and procedures. Subpoenas and court orders related to cases worked by the employee shall be followed, even post-employment. The duty to adequately communicate with attorneys and prepare for testimony, which includes a review of the applicable case records, is still expected post-employment
- Expertise in forensic pathology, general anatomic pathology, and broad foundational knowledge of other medical and surgical specialties
- Ability to communicate effectively with lay, technical, medical, and legal audiences; ability to provide empathetic consultation with family members of decedents; dictate autopsy findings, edit autopsy reports, and provide testimony as required in civil and criminal proceedings
- Must be able to calmly, effectively, and unambiguously express complex analytical conclusions and medical decisions in adversarial situations
- Ability to make independent decisions, often in stressful situations
- Ability to provide feedback in a constructive manner to a range of staff including professional personnel
- Excellent time management skills, strategies, and abilities; ability to work independently with minimal supervision, prioritizing and handling multiple tasks simultaneously
- Basic computer skills including Microsoft Office
General Information
Location:
- Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences - 1861 Old Spanish Trail Houston, TX 77054
- Full time; Monday-Friday, plus weekend and holiday rotation.
- Consistently requires > 40 hours per week
- Hours may vary based on needs of Department
- Must be available to work during severe weather events or other emergencies if necessary
- Morgue / office setting
- Routine exposure to deaths of adults and children that resulted from violence, natural disease, environmental hazards, and toxins
- Will be exposed to biohazardouses materials and offensive odors
- Medium work.
- Requires physical strength to push, pull, and lift up to 20 pounds frequently and repeatedly
- Must be physically able to stand for extended periods
- Must be able to effectively don and doff appropriate personal protective equipment (including N95 mask, gown, face protection, as well as self-contained breathing apparatus as required), and be able to wear personal protective gear for extended periods (hours) while conducting intricate postmortem examinations
- Reports To: Chief Medical Examiner/ Executive Director
- FLSA Status: Exempt
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