Montgomery County commissioners agreed on Aug. 14 to move forward on creating a medical examiner’s office, becoming the 14th county in the state to do so.

Explaining the role

The county first established a forensic center in 2011 due to rising costs for contracting with Harris and Dallas counties for death investigations. Since then, the county built a $13 million, 22,000-square-foot forensic center in Conroe to keep up with the growing number of death investigations and pathology requests.

“The current systems worked, but it’s cumbersome, it's duplicative, and it's confusing to family members who already don't know who to call,” said Dr. Kathryn Pinneri, head of the county’s forensic services. “I’d like to streamline that process, and the conversion of the medical examiner's office would do that.”

Texas has a population-based requirement for counties to have a medical examiner’s office that has increased over each legislative session from 1 million to 2.5 million residents during the last legislative session in 2023. However, a county is able to set up the office at any point before reaching the population requirement.

Breaking it down

Pinneri told commissioners Aug. 13 she would need three positions to begin the process, but a number of steps would need to be taken through future court action to make the transition. The needed positions include:

• 2 death investigators
• 1 part-time forensic pathologist
• Changing the administrative manager to a forensic operations manager

The move would also remove some burden from the county’s justices of the peace, who handle death inquests and the issuance of death certificates—a duty that will shift to the medical examiner’s office, according to discussion at the Aug. 14 meeting.

Only 13 out of the 254 counties in the state have a medical examiner's office, making Montgomery County the 14th county to make the switch.

Quote of note

“We've doubled our numbers in the eight years I've been here,” Pinneri said. “With the opening of several hospitals along the I-45 corridor, several of which are designated Level II trauma centers, more patients are transported here by ambulance and helicopter from adjacent counties. If those patients die, then the deaths fall under the jurisdiction of Montgomery County.”

What’s next?

Upon approval of the county budget in late August, the county will have to approve a memorialization of the move to create a medical examiner’s office. Assistant County Attorney Amy Dunham said it will likely take several months for the transition to take full effect as duties are shifted to the new department and additional certifications are acquired.