Medicals Examiners Office to be Built in Edmond

[Plutonic Panda]

Truthfully, I didn't even know this was in the works, this is awesome!

"ME’s move to Edmond clears final hurdle
James Coburn
The Edmond Sun

OKLA. CITY — A major roadblock has been removed to permit the Office of Chief Medical Examiner to be built on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma. The state Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled to allow plans to proceed.

Constructing the medical examiner’s office may begin now that the $38.5 million in bonds are released. State Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, said the Legislature is working through the issue. The Master Lease program had been approved by the state Legislature last year as well as by the State Regents for Higher Education as a way to issue the bonds for the project.

“I would like to thank the Supreme Court for upholding a decision by the Council of Bond Oversight to issue bonds to fund a number of important projects through the state Regents for Higher Education Master Lease Program,” said state Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond.

Jolley, who is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has been a leading force in bringing the medical examiner’s office to Edmond.

- See more at: ME?s move to Edmond clears final hurdle » Local News » The Edmond Sun

[Plutonic Panda]

''OKLAHOMA CITY - Construction could begin soon on a new office for the Oklahoma Medical Examiner say those close to the project.
Tuesday the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to the way the project is being funded, clearing the way for a new building.

The new building would be built on the UCO campus between the Forensic Science Center and the OSBI lab.

For years, the State Medical Examiner has been pleading for a new building. At their current one equipment is outdated, the roof leaks, boxes of files line the halls, tissue samples are stacked in the garage, and the air carries a smell that is a mixture of bleach and death due to a broken ventilation system.

Then last spring, bodies had to be moved into refrigerated trucks after their cooler broke down.

"We are frustrated," said Chief Administrative Officer Amy Elliott.

Elliott says the worst part is they don't have enough room for all the pathologists they need meaning they fall further behind every day in getting cause of death reports to loved ones and law enforcement.

"If we had a building that had room to actually put more forensic pathologists in, that problem could be solved"

- OK Supreme Court Clears Way For New Building For Medical Examine - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[MWCGuy]

There should have been a modern facility built a long time ago.