Hug Problems with Autopsies

[sgrizzle]

quote:
ME official says autopsies may no longer be performed in Tulsa

Associated Press - December 18, 2007 8:15 AM ET

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma's chief medical examiner says autopsies may no longer be performed at the Tulsa branch of the office.

Dr. Jeffery Gofton told the state Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety that the change could occur by July 1st.

Gofton says the change should result in autopsies being completed more quickly because all the forensic pathologists would be based in the same place and the workload would be evened out.

But Tulsa Police Corporal Gene Watkins says the change would create hug problems for authorities in Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma. Watkins says police would have to delay homicide investigations until a pathologist arrives from Oklahoma City.

Officials reported in May the two pathologists in Tulsa were performing about 400 autopsies a year but 1 of those pathologists has retired leaving just one in the Tulsa office.

http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7511464

[spoonbill]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:
ME official says autopsies may no longer be performed in Tulsa

Associated Press - December 18, 2007 8:15 AM ET

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma's chief medical examiner says autopsies may no longer be performed at the Tulsa branch of the office.

Dr. Jeffery Gofton told the state Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety that the change could occur by July 1st.

Gofton says the change should result in autopsies being completed more quickly because all the forensic pathologists would be based in the same place and the workload would be evened out.

But Tulsa Police Corporal Gene Watkins says the change would create hug problems for authorities in Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma. Watkins says police would have to delay homicide investigations until a pathologist arrives from Oklahoma City.

Officials reported in May the two pathologists in Tulsa were performing about 400 autopsies a year but 1 of those pathologists has retired leaving just one in the Tulsa office.

http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7511464

Sometimes, a hug is all you need to avoid an autopsy.

[cannon_fodder]

Other than the obvious editorial errors... this is disturbing.  Why, in the hell, would a city approaching 1 million people not have the facilities to conduct their own autopsies?  When dealing with medical issues and insurance there is something to be said about efficiency... but when dealing with a death and potential murder investigation I do not think it is time to cut corners.

This is why Tulsa feels like OKC treats us like a province.  To be milked and send back down the turnpike.

[spoonbill]

This is a bit off point, but funny none the less. . . One of our Tulsa medical examiners is an Elvis impersonator.  

I have a friend who is an ER doc.  He said that it causes a problem when he has to go into the family waiting room to request autopsy documents to be signed by the family of the deceased.

How would you feel if Elvis walked in and asked to do an autopsy on your husband or wife?

"Don't worry pretty lady, I'm gonna get to the bottom of this.  Thank ya very much!"

[FOTD]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Other than the obvious editorial errors... this is disturbing.  Why, in the hell, would a city approaching 1 million people not have the facilities to conduct their own autopsies?  When dealing with medical issues and insurance there is something to be said about efficiency... but when dealing with a death and potential murder investigation I do not think it is time to cut corners.

This is why Tulsa feels like OKC treats us like a province.  To be milked and send back down the turnpike.

Why is this "cutting corners" and "lack of efficiency" happening?

[Conan71]

The idea of hugging stiffs is repulsive.

[spoonbill]

Had two family members die this year that required autopsies.  One from a brain tumor and the other from a drug overdose.  

The autopsy results concluding that my cousin died of a brain tumor took 4 months.  During that time the entire family could only speculate.  It was rough!

The autopsy results on my nephew, the druggy, only took two months, but we all knew how he died!

I can see how shipping stiffs to a central location with a state of the art lab could be more efficient.  The excuse we received on the delay for both of these reports was that the tissues and lab work had to be shipped to OKC and/or Norman.

I hope this change will make for more accelerated service.

FOTD, Don't think of this as a loss of beloved government services, think of it as an increase in refrigerator space! []

The average man equals 5.8 cubic feet of space.  That's approximately 9  twelve packs of beer.  Therefore this provides much needed space for 43,000 frosty beers.

WIN WIN!

[TulsaFan-inTexas]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Other than the obvious editorial errors... this is disturbing.  Why, in the hell, would a city approaching 1 million people not have the facilities to conduct their own autopsies?  When dealing with medical issues and insurance there is something to be said about efficiency... but when dealing with a death and potential murder investigation I do not think it is time to cut corners.

This is why Tulsa feels like OKC treats us like a province.  To be milked and send back down the turnpike.

I wholeheartedly agree. This is ridiculous, and DISTURBING. Is Tulsa just going to be a suburb of OKC or something?

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaFan-inTexas

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder

Other than the obvious editorial errors... this is disturbing.  Why, in the hell, would a city approaching 1 million people not have the facilities to conduct their own autopsies?  When dealing with medical issues and insurance there is something to be said about efficiency... but when dealing with a death and potential murder investigation I do not think it is time to cut corners.

This is why Tulsa feels like OKC treats us like a province.  To be milked and send back down the turnpike.

I wholeheartedly agree. This is ridiculous, and DISTURBING. Is Tulsa just going to be a suburb of OKC or something?

Yep.  If we're lucky, we'll talk Clay Bennett into giving us their new WNBA team that they got from Seattle.  Any scrap will do!