DOCSLIB.ORG

2018 Texas Mortuary Law Update

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Chapter 1: 2018 Texas Mortuary Law Update 2 CE Hours By: Staff Writer Learning objectives After completing this course, the participant will be able to: Review any new legislative changes including amendments and Describe the primary responsibilities of the Texas Funeral Service additions to the Texas Administrative Code that went into effect in Commission. 2017. Explain the requirements needed to renew a license, i.e., Summarize the process of an investigation and investigative report continuing education, fees, criminal convictions, etc. when a violation has occurred. Discuss inspection procedures and regulations. Introduction Over 180,000 Texas residents will die each year and require the death Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 651, and must consistently show an care industry’s services. Due to the aging “Baby Boomer” population, interest in supporting consumer protection. Members serve six year there will be a definitive need in upcoming years for more funeral terms. professionals to assist families in need. To protect Texans from The TFSC operates with three (3) functional divisions: unscrupulous, deceptive practices by funeral service professionals, the ● Administration; State continues to update legislation to reflect the current situations ● Licensing; and and ethical practices. ● Compliance. The Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC) is the state agency Authorizing statutes for the TFSC are located within the Texas authorized by state law to regulate the death care industry in Texas. Occupations Code, Subtitle L, Chapter 651, Cemetery and Crematory According to the Texas Funeral Service Commission 2017-2021 Services, Funeral Directing, and Embalming, and is known as Strategic Plan, the duty of this entity is to the public and “strives “Mortuary Law.” to be responsible, ethical, and open in its actions.” To ensure that the funeral professionals within the State of Texas are served by Additionally, the laws governing the death care industry are found in: qualified individuals, the TFSC has initiated Operational Goals. These ● Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 716; and Operational Goals include (Agency Strategic Plan: 2017-2021, 2016): ● Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Title 22, Part 10. ● Managing a program of examination and licensure that ensures This program primarily focuses on the Chapter 651 of the Texas the development of competent funeral professionals with high Occupations Code and Title 22, Part 10 of the Texas Administrative standards of ethical conduct to maintain competent licensees; Code, as Texas Funeral Professionals are required to complete a course ● Enforce standards through providing enforcement and protecting in Texas Mortuary Law updates each year, prior to renewing their the public, aggressively and effectively. license. Rule §203.8(e)(2)(B) states that the continuing education Furthermore, the mission of TFSC is to “protect the public from credit hours provided must contain: deceptive practices in the funeral and death care industry through a “Ethics—two credit hours – this course must at least cover the process of impartial enforcement, inspection, licensing and education most current versions of Occupations Code Chapter 651, and the in order to guarantee every citizen’s final disposition is conducted Rules of the Commission.” professionally and ethically.” This program covers the most current versions of the Texas The TFSC is comprised of seven Commissioners appointed by the Occupations Code and the Texas Administrative Code. All of the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Two (2) members information in this program was adapted from the TFSC under must be licensed as both an embalmer and a funeral director for at “governing laws.” least five (5) years preceding appointment, one member must be You may access this information at the Texas Funeral Service a registered cemetery owner or operator, and four members must Commission’s website: http://www.tfsc.state.tx.us/Laws.html. represent the public. The public members may not be regulated under 2017 amendments that affect the funeral industry There have been amendments adopted recently that affect the funeral by allowing a copy of the original license, rather than the original industry. license, to be maintained by funeral establishments under specific TFSC news and updates can be found on www.tfsc.texas.gov/news. circumstances. The amendments (f) and (g) read as follows: html. Chapter 203.24 was amended within Title 22 of the Texas (f) In the event the license holder who assists the public and/or Administrative Code and became final on July 13, 2017. This Chapter embalms a dead human body is not a regular full or part time pertained to the display of licenses in order to “ease the regulatory employee of the funeral establishment, the funeral establishment burden on licensees while maintaining protections for consumers to shall maintain a copy of the license holder’s original license for ensure they work only with licensed funeral directors and embalmers” inspection by a customer or a prospective customer. The copy Page 1 Funeral.EliteCME.com of the license holder’s original license shall be maintained for a The text of the Chapter has been updated and “establishment” period of two years after the temporary employment occurred. in many places has been changed to read “licensed entity,” and (g) If a regular full or part time employee is no longer employed by “cemeteries” have been added to the text of 203.26(1) to read: “All the funeral establishment, the funeral establishment shall maintain licensed funeral establishments, commercial embalming facilities, a copy of the license holder’s original license for a period of two crematories, and cemeteries shall be inspected at least once every two years after the employment ends. years. The Commission shall give lower priority to the inspection of Additionally, another amendment has been proposed to revise Texas cemeteries.” Furthermore, section (c) has been added, and now reads: Administrative Code 203.44 – Procedures and Criteria for Inspections “Notwithstanding section (a)(1), a cemetery may not be inspected of Licensed Establishments. According to TFSC: unless an interment has occurred in the cemetery within the two years “During a recent audit by the State Auditor’s Office, it was preceding the inspection or the Commission has received a complaint recommended the Commission develop a rule to outline about the cemetery.” procedures and criteria for inspecting licensed cemeteries. While Finally, there are some bills that have been introduced within this the Commission has an internal policy about the inspection of 85th Regular Session of the Legislature that may indirectly affect the cemeteries, this amendment creates those procedures and criteria funeral industry. The Executive Director of TFSC has provided a list of in the Commission’s rules. The proposal was approved by bills that were enacted and has posted them on an FYI basis: The list is Commissioners at the June 20, 2017 meeting and was published in not, and should not be considered, an exhaustive list. It may be found the Texas Registrar for a 30 day comment period.” at: http://tfsc.texas.gov/files/News/85R%20Bills.pdf Occupations Code; Title 3. Health Professions Subtitle L. Cemetery and Crematory Services, Funeral Directing, and Embalming Chapter 651. Sec. 651.001. Definitions. ceremony or for the care and preparation of a dead human body In this chapter: for burial, cremation, or other disposition. The term includes (1) Cemetery: A place that is used or intended to be used for embalming. interment, and includes a graveyard, burial park, or mausoleum. (11) Mortuary science: The scientific, professional, and practical (2) Commission: The Texas Funeral Service Commission. aspects, with consideration given to accepted practices, of the care, (3) Crematory: A structure containing a furnace used or intended to preparation for burial, or transportation of a dead human body. be used for the cremation of human remains. The term includes the preservation and sanitation of a dead human (4) Embalmer: A person licensed under this chapter who for body and restorative art. compensation, wholly or partly, disinfects or preserves a dead (12) Outer enclosure: An enclosure or container placed in a grave human body by: above or around the casket. The term includes a burial vault, grave (A) Using chemical substances, fluids, or gases, including by box, or grave liner. introducing those substances, fluids, or gases into the body by: (12-a) Perpetual care cemetery: A cemetery regulated under Chapter (i) Vascular or hypodermic injection; or 712, Health and Safety Code. 2 (ii) Direct application into the organs or cavities; or (13) Prospective customer: A consumer who enters a funeral (B) Another method intended to disinfect or preserve a dead establishment and inquires about a funeral service, cremation, or human body or to restore body tissues and structures. merchandise. (5) First call: The beginning of the relationship and duty of a funeral (14) Provisional license holder: A person who: director to take charge of a dead human body and have the body (A) Is engaged in learning the practice of funeral directing or prepared for burial or disposition by embalming, cremation, or embalming under the instruction, direction, and personal another method. The term does not include an ambulance call if supervision of a funeral director or embalmer; and the person dispatching the ambulance does not know whether a (B) Holds a provisional license
Recommended publications
  • Grief and Cultural Competence: Hispanic, African American, & Jewish Traditions

    Grief and Cultural Competence: Hispanic, African American, & Jewish Traditions

    Grief and Cultural Competence: Hispanic, African American, & Jewish Traditions 3 CE Hours Dr. Candi K. Cann, Ph.D. Funeral Service Academy PO Box 449 Pewaukee, WI 53072 www.funeralcourse.com [email protected] 888-909-5906 Course Instructions Each of the course PDFs below contain a preview of the final exam followed by the course material. The exam is identical to the final exam that you will take online after you purchase the course. You may use this exam preview to help you study the course material. After you purchase the course online, you will be taken to a receipt page which will have the following link: Click Here to Take Online Exam Simply click on this link to take the final exam and receive your certificate of completion. 3 Easy Steps to Complete a Course: 1. Read the course material below. 2. Purchase the course online & take the final exam. 3. Print out your certificate. If you don’t pass the exam, no problem – you can try it again for free! Funeral Service Academy PO Box 449 Pewaukee, WI 53072 [email protected] Final Exam - PREVIEW Course Name: Grief and Cultural Competence: Hispanic, African American, & Jewish Traditions (3 CE Hours) HISPANIC MODULE 1. Currently, Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States: ________ of the total United States population in the 2013 census. a. 38.7% b. 29.4% c. 21.6% d. 17.1% 2. The body of the deceased plays an active role in the Hispanic tradition, from the wake and rosary to the funeral mass and burial, and is a central “actor” in the religious rituals remembering the dead.
  • Funeral Directors As Servant-Leaders SHELBY CHISM and MICHAEL G

    Funeral Directors As Servant-Leaders SHELBY CHISM and MICHAEL G

    SERVING A DEATH-DENYING CULTURE Funeral Directors as Servant-Leaders SHELBY CHISM AND MICHAEL G. STRAWSER uneral directors have labeled the typical American society a death-denying culture. For example, parents may try to F shield children from the death event because of previous occurrences with death and the funeral home (Mahon, 2009). Unfortunately, by protecting others, the death-denying culture is perpetuated (Mahon, 2009). Therefore, it is no surprise that research on funeral directors, and funeral homes, may be underdeveloped. To address the scarcity of research literature on the impact of funeral directors, this article discusses the importance of the death care industry and provides an overview of servant-leadership theory as a framework for understanding the role of the 21st century funeral director. The funeral home industry has been studied through a servant-leadership framework (Long, 2009) yet, research on the funeral director as servant-leader is scarce. While it is true that funeral homes have been studied through a servant- leadership framework mostly through the lens of vocational effectiveness (Adnot-Haynes, 2013), relationships with the bereaved (Mahon, 2009), and trending professional 229 developments (Granquist, 2014), research on the role of the funeral director as a servant-leader remains underdeveloped. Funeral directors, an often ignored population in leadership and communication study, may display tendencies of servant- leadership and, potentially, communicate with clients primarily as servant-leaders. Despite a clear connection between funeral directing as a servant profession, and the necessity for servant-leaders to communicate compassionately and effectively with the bereaved, this vocation remains under- examined. Therefore, this article addresses the servanthood nature of leadership as demonstrated by funeral directors.
  • Deputy Coroner

    Deputy Coroner

    MADERA COUNTY DEPUTY CORONER DEFINITION Under general direction, to investigate and report on causes of death; positively identify deceased individuals; assist with autopsies and post mortem examinations; remove bodies from the scene of death and deliver them to the Coroner facility; maintain the morgue and autopsy room in sanitary and orderly condition; and to perform related work as required. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The Deputy Coroner is a PC 830.35 (c) class that is utilized in the Office of the Sheriff to investigate and report on cases of death that fall within the jurisdiction of the Sheriff-Coroner. This class differs from Senior Deputy Coroner in that the Senior functions as a lead supervisor by reviewing, coordinating and assigning the work of the Deputy Coroner. Although the Senior Deputy Coroner functions in a lead capacity, the incumbents of this class will report directly to the supervisor (Sergeant) or manager (Lieutenant or Commander) assigned to the Investigative Services Division. SUPERVISION EXERCISED Exercises no supervision. EXAMPLES OF IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES Receives calls from law enforcement agencies, doctors, and others reporting possible Coroner’s cases; makes initial determination, subject to review, if a death is within the jurisdiction of the Coroner and if an autopsy or post mortem examination is required; responds to the location of the decedent; investigates deaths and gathers information relating to the method, manner, and location of death as well as the identity of the decedent; takes possession
  • Funeral Directors Association

    Funeral Directors Association

    JULY/AUGUST 2013 Minnesota FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION BULLETIN PUBLISHED MONTHLY FOR THE MINNESOTA FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION MEMBERS. Minnesota Funeral Directors Association Encourages Families to Have the Talk of a Lifetime Minneapolis, MN – People talk about many things with their loved ones: from day-to-day details to big events. Sharing stories with those who matter most isn’t just important today; it will be especially significant when it’s time to commemorate a life. Minnesota Funeral Directors Association (MFDA) is proud to announce its participation in Have the Talk of a LifetimeSM, a national effort to encourage families to have conversations about life and what matters most. These discussions can help families make important decisions about how they wish to remember and honor the lives of their loved ones. Through meaningful memorialization – that is, taking time to reflect on the unique life of a loved one and remember the difference they made – families and friends take an important step in the journey toward healing after death. Continued on page 6 SRSASSOCIAAVE THE DATE! TI ON DIRECTO MIN NESO NERAL Sept. 19-20, 2013 FU TA Change Service Requested Service Change TA NESO InsuranceMIN Class O. 23 O. N IT M PER Maple Grove, MN 55311 55311 MN Grove, Maple N PRIOR LAKE, M LAKE, PRIOR Embassy Suites, Brooklyn Center, MN Road Lake Fish East 7046 PAID POSTAGE . S U. Minnesota Funeral Directors Association Directors Funeral Minnesota RSASSOCIA TANDARD TANDARD S MFDA Bulletin MFDA PRESORTED PRESORTED TI ON DIRECTO MIN NESO NERAL FU TA Minnesota Funeral Director’s Association In This Issue Have the Talk of a Lifetime .............Cover, 6 Board of DirECTors, STaff and OTHER ConTacTS From the Director .....................................
  • Chapter: Religion and the Funeral Director

    Chapter: Religion and the Funeral Director

    Chapter: Religion and the Funeral Director 2 CE Hours By: Elite Staff Learning objectives Be able to conduct each funeral service with dignity and respect, In dealing with the bereaved, be able to: adapting funeral arrangements to serve the needs of each family as ○ Understand and respect the values of the people you serve. appropriate and according to their means, customs, and religious, ○ Provide interpreters, if necessary. cultural and national traditions. ○ Reduce incidents of perceived discrimination, lack of empathy, Be able to recognize, understand and adapt to the needs of ethnic or hostility due to ignorance of specific customs and traditions. communities as well as mainstream or numerically dominant Be accountable and able to serve the multicultural consumer base. groups. Demographic trends in the United States1 Demographic trends in North America point to increasing diversity century is seeing the development of three major subcultures: African of religion, nation of origin, culture and subculture. In the United American, Hispanic, and Asian American. Within each of these groups States, the racial and ethnic composition of the country is changing are subgroups defined by different languages, cultures and religions. – no longer a white majority and black minority, the early part of this Variation within groups Funeral rites vary not only by religion and culture, but also by country While each ritual is unique, most funerals include the following of origin, family customs, financial resources and/or the personal components: 2 preferences of the individual and families involved in the ritual. This ● A death announcement. course introduces customs and cultures characteristic of some of the ● Some preparation of the deceased.
  • Cemetery Services

    Cemetery Services

    Cemetery Manager’s Office PO Box 281 102 Division St 907.443.6605 CEMETERY SERVICES The City of Nome understands what a difficult time this can be for families, and we extend our most sincere condolences. We are here to ensure that the interment of Nome’s loved ones is completed safely, with the utmost respect, and our warmest regards. Services are available for those who wish Nome to be their final resting place. Our goal is to make the interment process simple and practical, while taking the family’s wishes into consideration whenever possible. This burial packet is designed to guide you through the process of having a loved one buried at the Nome Municipal Cemetery. A resource list has been attached for information on funeral homes, casket options, cremation services, financial assistance, and State of Alaska requirements. Burial Options Grave openings and closings are performed by City of Nome Public Works staff. For traditional burials, caskets may be available for purchase at Norton Sound Health Corporation. For information, please contact Social Services at 907-443-3311. For information about urns or different casket options, please see the attached list of resources on the final page of this packet. Homemade caskets or coffins are welcome at the Nome Municipal Cemetery as well. A “green burial” or “natural burial” is an option for those who wish their loved one to be placed in the ground without a traditional casket. This is sometimes desirable for financial reasons, and also enables a body to decompose at a natural rate. Please note that a solid resting base and a sufficient shroud is required for a burial of this nature.
  • Morgue Assistant SCHEDULE: Staff CODE: SA535 SALARY EEO UNION: Staff Association - Local 2071, U.A.W

    Morgue Assistant SCHEDULE: Staff CODE: SA535 SALARY EEO UNION: Staff Association - Local 2071, U.A.W

    ISSUED: 6/93 SALARY CLASS TITLE: Morgue Assistant SCHEDULE: Staff CODE: SA535 SALARY EEO UNION: Staff Association - Local 2071, U.A.W. GRADE: 4 CODE: 50 E- FLSA: Non-Exempt CLASS: SA POSITION PURPOSE Assist in the preparation of cadavers and anatomical specimens for the purpose of instruction, research and storage by the School of Medicine. Perform moderately complex work routines according to specific instruction utilizing specialized methods and equipment. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS - Receive and maintain records of donated human cadavers. Verify death certificate as well as the dissect and cremate release form issued by Medical Examiner. File death certificates with Health Department. - Embalm, wrap and store cadavers adhering to established methods and procedures and utilizing appropriate chemical agents. Prepare laboratory specimens and prosections and deliver to teaching laboratory, e.g. Gross Anatomy laboratories. - Set-up and maintain Gross Anatomy laboratories and oversee student utilization. Order and maintain inventory of equipment, supplies, teaching aides, etc.; distribute models, specimens and hand-outs for student use. Maintain Gross Anatomy Museum and prepare rooms for meetings and seminars. - Operate and maintain crematory. Remove remains and prepare ashes for burial and record disposition. Provide information to the general public, students and faculty regarding the body bequest program. - Perform routine maintenance of motor vehicles and mechanical equipment, e.g. power tools. Provide custodial maintenance for all gross anatomy laboratories and mortuary areas (i.e. one crematorium and one sectional room). - Perform related work as assigned. THIS DESCRIPTION IS INTENDED TO INDICATE THE KINDS OF TASKS AND LEVELS OF WORK DIFFICULTY THAT WILL BE REQUIRED OF POSITIONS THAT WILL BE GIVEN THIS TITLE AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS DECLARING WHAT THE SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ANY PARTICULAR POSITION SHALL BE.
  • Nan Goldin and Andres Serrano's Post-Mortem Photography

    Nan Goldin and Andres Serrano's Post-Mortem Photography

    Visible Care: Nan Goldin and Andres Serrano’s Post-mortem Photography Lauren Jane Summersgill Humanities and Cultural Studies Birkbeck, University of London Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy November 2014 2 Declaration I certify that this thesis is the result of my own investigations and, except for quotations, all of which have been clearly identified, was written entirely by me. Lauren J. Summersgill October 2014 3 Abstract This thesis investigates artistic post-mortem photography in the context of shifting social relationship with death in the 1980s and 1990s. Analyzing Nan Goldin’s Cookie in Her Casket and Andres Serrano’s The Morgue, I argue that artists engaging in post- mortem photography demonstrate care for the deceased. Further, that demonstrable care in photographing the dead responds to a crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s in America. At the time, death returned to social and political discourse with the visibility of AIDS and cancer and the euthanasia debates, spurring on photographic engagement with the corpse. Nan Goldin’s 1989 post-mortem portrait of her friend, Cookie in Her Casket, was first presented within The Cookie Portfolio. The memorial portfolio traced the friendship between Cookie and Goldin over fourteen years. The work relies on a personal narrative, framing the works within a familial gaze. I argue that Goldin creates the sense of family to encourage empathy in the viewer for Cookie’s loss. Further, Goldin’s generic and beautified post-mortem image of Cookie is a way of offering Cookie respect and dignity in death. Andres Serrano’s 1992 The Morgue is a series of large-scale cropped, and detailed photographs capturing indiscriminate bodies from within an unidentified morgue.
  • White Paper Morgue Operations, Identification, and Command and Control of Mass Fatalities Resulting from a Pandemic Influenza Event in the United States

    White Paper Morgue Operations, Identification, and Command and Control of Mass Fatalities Resulting from a Pandemic Influenza Event in the United States

    White Paper- Managing Mass Fatalities During a Pandemic Influenza Incident in the United States White Paper Morgue Operations, Identification, and Command and Control of Mass Fatalities resulting from a Pandemic Influenza Event in the United States Authored by: Devlin, S. (Fairfax Co, Police), Gavin, C, (Battelle- US Army ECBC-MIRP), Lyle, B (Orange County, CA Sheriff-Coroner), McGovern, J LTC (US Army North) Contributing Authors: Butcher, B (New York City, OCME), Fierro, M (VA State, OCME), Fitch, J (National Funeral Directors Association), Fudenberg, J (Clark County Office of the Coroner, Nevada), Gursky, E (ANSER-Biodefense), Kanis, P (US Red Cross), Roath, D (US Army ER) I Executive Summary The number of those estimated to perish during another pandemic influenza (PI) event in the United States (US) may be between 5%- 7% of the infected population (infected population est. to be 25%) or 3,612,500 – 5,057,500 respectively1. Governmental authorities, primarily the medical examiner/coroner (ME/C), law enforcement, public health, and associated death care professionals, will not only need to manage these fatalities but also the 2.4 million deaths that occur annually. The purpose of this paper, written at the behest of the US Northern Command’s Joint Task Force-Civil Support (JTF-CS), is to identify the predominant issues regarding command and control of mass fatalities, morgue operations, and body identification during a PI event and provide senior leaders actionable recommendations to managing this most daunting task. Subject matter experts identified eleven major issues senior leaders need to address to manage numerous fatalities resulting from a PI event.
  • Mortuary Science Preceptor Manual

    Mortuary Science Preceptor Manual

    Mortuary Science Preceptor Manual 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd. Building 17 Ankeny, IA 50023 (515) 965-7171 http://funeral.dmacc.edu DMACC Mortuary Science Program Preceptor Manual and Training General Overview The Program Chair and faculty here at the DMACC Mortuary Science Program would like to sincerely thank you for taking part in the funeral service educational process. Your active participation in the student’s education is vital to their success and to the perpetuation of funeral service for generations to come. This Preceptor Manual is designed as a guide to aid the preceptor in three different scenarios: 1) For those funeral directors who are supervising students in DMACC’s Funeral Home-Based Option; 2) For those funeral directors who are supervising students in the program’s capstone course: MOR 941 – Funeral Service Practicum; and 3) For those funeral directors who have hired a student to complete their Iowa Internship Why Preceptor Training? There are three reasons that a funeral director who wishes to participate in the educational process of a student or hire/supervise an intern/practicum student would complete this training. First, the American Board of Funeral Service Education (abfse.org) requires that any licensee who works with a student must receive training “about the school’s requirements concerning knowledge base, competency, and evaluation of student procedures and criteria. The training must include an on- or off-campus workshop and/or a manual pertaining to the training and methods of evaluation.” (Chapter IX ABFSE Accreditation Standards). Secondly, the State of Iowa requires that “a preceptor must have completed a training course within five years prior to accepting an intern.
  • Ceremonial Leaders and Funeral Practices

    Ceremonial Leaders and Funeral Practices

    CEREMONIAL LEADERS AND FUNERAL PRACTICES: The Role Relationships of Clergy and Funeral Directors in Newfoundland IVAN EMKE, PH.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SIR WILFRED GRENFELL COLLEGE MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND CORNER BROOK, NF A2H 6P9 CANADA 709-637-6200, EXT. 6322 709-639-8125 (FAX) [email protected] Submitted to Omega, September 2000 1 Ceremonial Leaders and Funeral Practices: The Role Relationships of Clergy and Funeral Directors in Newfoundland Abstract In the Western Christian tradition, the primary ceremonial leader of a funeral was the local clergy. However, with the rise of the professional funeral industry, funeral directors emerged as a second group of ceremonial leaders. These individuals orchestrate the preparation and disposal of the body, and are increasingly involved in providing "aftercare" for families. This paper analyses the conflicts which might occur between these two professions, both of which organize the marking of death in our culture. After a discussion of sociological research on this role conflict, the paper presents data from a 1999 mail survey of clergy in Newfoundland and Labrador. The survey covered the clergy's own reflections on their interactions with funeral professionals. The paper concludes with observations on how changes in one profession's terrain can influence the operation of other, closely aligned, professions.1 1 I would like to thank all of those who gave willingly of their time to respond to the questionnaire which forms the nucleus of the data reported herein. The survey, weighing in at about 10 pages, was rather tortuous to complete, but it has provided me (and maybe them, in the end) with a wealth of data.
  • The County Coroner's Office and the Need for a Morgue

    The County Coroner's Office and the Need for a Morgue

    2008-2009 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY The County Coroner’s Office and the Need for a Morgue February 10, 2009 SUMMARY The Grand Jury last reviewed the operation of the Marin Coroner’s Office nearly a decade ago, recommending at that time that the county establish a central forensics facility for the coroner’s staff, along with a morgue suitable for conducting autopsies that are required by law. Despite several attempts, a morgue has not been built. Instead, the coroner contracts with local mortuaries for use of their facilities for required autopsies. The current Grand Jury has reviewed the operation of the coroner’s office and investigated whether a need for a morgue still exists. We also considered whether the coroner’s small staff should be incorporated into the sheriff’s department to save money. In 2008, the coroner received reports of 874 deaths and investigated 647 cases, with autopsies required in 209 of them. There were 50 coroner cases not requiring autopsy. Of the coroner cases, 110 were deemed natural deaths, 2 were industrial accidents, 5 were traffic accidents, 43 were other accidents, 25 were of undetermined cause, 10 were homicides (including 4 vehicular homicides) and 56 were suicides. The number of suicide deaths, many of them from the Golden Gate Bridge, gives Marin County the dubious distinction of having more suicides per capita than any other county in the nation. The Marin Coroner’s Office has a staff of seven and has remained at that level for more than 30 years, primarily because Marin’s population has not grown appreciably.