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In
2005, the Southern Regional Medical Examiner
Office was established to serve the counties
of Cape May and Cumberland. On September 1, 2013 the Southern Regional Medical Examiner Office also began providing medical examiner services to Atlantic County. The counties entered
into a contract with the Department of Law and
Public Safety, whereby the Division of Criminal
Justice provides death investigations, medical
examiner services and toxicology analysis on
a fee-for-service basis. The counties reimburse
the state for the cost to operate the office.
The staff at Southern Regional
Medical Examiner Office investigate the cause
and manner of death in accordance with the NJ
State Medical Examiner Act NJSA 52:17B. They
conduct medico legal investigations, autopsies
and other post-mortem analysis to provide county
prosecutors and other law enforcement agencies
with testimony, laboratory results and other
necessary data and evidence to allow for the
fair and proper prosecution of criminal cases.
Autopsies are conducted at Shore Memorial Hospital
in Somers Point.
The daily operation of the office, located on
the grounds of the Woodbine Developmental Center,
is under the direct supervision of a Medical
Examiner, who reports to the State Medical Examiner.
The office is also used as a base of operations
for Mass Disaster Planning, training and other
medical examiner functions. This facility may
also serve as the staging area for catastrophes
that involve the health and safety of the citizens
of this state. The office is charged with conducting
death investigations for all violent, sudden,
unexpected and suspicious deaths that occur
within its jurisdiction. Many cases involve
a threat to public health, occupation related
deaths, industrial equipment accidents, environmental
hazards, vehicular deaths, drownings and even
farming accidents.
The office investigates approximately
800 deaths each year. |
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