Medical Examiner Division

We manage all aspects of the state medical examiner program with responsibility for technical supervision of county offices in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. We certify the cause and manner of a death requiring investigation within the authority of ORS Chapter 146. This activity may include post mortem examination or alcohol and drug analyses. The division maintains state records and provides lectures and training on legal medicine and death investigations to medical school physicians and students, attorneys, law students, police officers, emergency medical technicians, and other persons associated with the death investigation system.

State Medical Examiner Advisory Board

This board meets annually. They develop policy, recommend budget and review the Chief Medical Examiner’s report. Please review ORS 146.015 and 146.025 for more details.

The State Medical Examiner Advisory Board is meeting on November 5, 2019 beginning at 5:30 pm. The meeting will be held at the Portland Lab/Medical Examiner facilityin Clackamas. Please contact the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office if you wish to attent. 971-673-8200.

Training

We offer a 40-Hour Oregon Certified Medicolegal Death Investigator Course. This course is a standardized training program following national guidelines for death investigations developed by the National Institute of Justice.

The course is offered to the following groups in this priority order: Medical Examiners, Full-time Medicolegal Death Investigators, District Attorneys, Part-time Medicolegal Death Investigators, Attorneys, Law enforcement and Medical Professionals.

Records Requests

How do I request medical examiner reports? What do I need to include in my request?

All report requests must include our records request form found here: Medical Examiners Records Request Form
Additional requirements detailed below.
Family members: A copy of your state issued ID.
Insurance Companies: An authorization to release information signed by the next of kin. Payment made out to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
Attorneys: A letter stating who you are representing and why you are requesting records. Payment made out to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
(For Multnomah County and Clackamas County deaths, please contact those agencies directly for report requests.)

When can I expect to receive the reports I requested?

Once all the reports are finalized, we generally fulfill requests within one week.

How do I get a copy of the death certificate?

Death certificates can be obtained from Oregon Vital Stats

How long are Medical Examiner reports available?

The State Medical Examiner’s Office maintains records for 25 years after the date of death.

Who is entitled to these records?

Under ORS 146.045 (5)Notwithstanding ORS 192.345 (Public records conditionally exempt from disclosure)(36):
(a)Any parent, spouse, sibling, child or personal representative of the deceased, or any person who may be criminally or civilly liable for the death, or their authorized representatives respectively, may examine and obtain copies of any medical examiner’s report, autopsy report or laboratory test report ordered by a medical examiner under ORS 146.117 (Autopsies).

Please review the form for more details. There are different offices to send your request and different fees depending on the circumstances.

Please contact us if you have questions.

Data

These charts will show you the breakdown of drug related deaths in Oregon by county and drug type. We will improve on these reports over time. Drug related deaths

Leadership

Acting Chief Medical Examiner
Sean Hurst, M.D.

Deputy State Medical Examiner
Michele Stauffenberg, M.D.

Deputy State Medical Examiner
Rebecca A. Millius, M.D.

Deputy State Medical Examiner
Clifford Nelson, M.D.

Deputy State Medical Examiner - Lane County
Daniel W. Davis, M.D.

Deputy State Medical Examiner - Southern Oregon
James Olson, M.D.

State Forensic Anthropologist
Veronica “Nici” Vance, Ph.D.

Forensic Administrator
Kelsey Evans

Contact

State Medical Examiner
13309 SE 84th Avenue
Suite 100
Clackamas, OR 97015
Phone: 971-673-8200
Medical.Examiner@osp.oregon.gov

Hours
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday