by Joel Addington
Contributing Writer
The Duval County Medical Examiner’s Office anticipates getting about $297,000 this year from autopsies originating in surrounding counties.
That equals about 12 percent of the office’s $2.3 million budget and serves to reimburse the medical examiner for services provided.
However, those services – provided at $2,100 per autopsy case – are critical for families in neighboring counties where no medical examiner exists.
“We have no choice but to pay it because we don’t have our own medical examiner,” said Judy Lewis, internal auditor for Columbia County. “We’re pretty rural.”
Columbia County is one of seven neighboring counties in two districts for which Duval County provides medical examiner services.
Under the direction of District Chief Medical Examiner Margarita Arruza, the medical examiner’s office serves more than 1 million people, including those in Duval, Clay and Nassau counties, which make up District IV.
Ordinances authorizing agreements between the City of Jacksonville and Columbia, Suwannee, Lafayette and Hamilton counties (District III) for medical examiner services were introduced during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
“The agreements just formalize a relationship with surrounding counties that’s existed for about the last 20 years,” said Kristen Beach, media relations officer for the City. “No costs will be incurred and we won’t need any additional staff to perform the exams.”
Final action on the agreements from City Council is expected in December 11.
The agreements call for continuing the $2,100 charged per case, but payments would be made to the City of Jacksonville, not the Duval County Medical Examiner.
“Before, we contracted with the medical examiner, paying the medical examiner directly,” said Lewis. “Now we’re going to contract with City of Jacksonville.”
The change means that revenues from autopsies originating outside Duval County will go into the City’s general fund rather than directly into the medical examiner’s budget.
Currently, the medical examiner’s office staffs 26 employees, including medical examiners, autopsy technicians and forensic investigators.
The office performed 869 autopsies from Duval County during the last fiscal year and another 153 from District III.