Job Listing for Medical Legal Investigator at Broward County Medical Examiner's Office

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Medical-Legal Investigator.  This job posting will remain open until a sufficient number of applications are received.
 

This position is technical, laboratory, and investigative work in the Office of the Medical Examiner and Trauma Services. This incumbent will be required to perform complex death investigations and must possess medical knowledge and terminology.  Confidential information must be handled in a professional manner to maintain the integrity of confidentiality. Must possess knowledge of state and local regulatory requirements applicable to vital statistics recordation, public records laws and rules of evidence.  Incumbent must be skilled in the input of data into a computer database and/or case management system, and the completion of electronic forms regularly using office equipment, cameras and other photographic equipment.  The incumbent will be required to use established criteria to determine if cases fall under the jurisdiction of the Medical Examiner's Office and initiate action for Medical Examiner's Office cases.
 

American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigator (ABMDI) certification, minimum at the Diplomat Level, must be obtained within 24 months of hire and maintained for duration of employment.

Must possess a valid Florida driver's license during employment and maintain authority to drive on County business.

 

Responds to scenes, photographs and examines deceased for documentation and assists in determining the cause and manner of death; assists in positive identification; writes detailed scene report to provide the medical examiner with a description of the scene.
 
Enters the cause and manner of death, researches/locates next of kin of deceased; relays information to the assigned funeral home once the office received body released from next of kin; assists family members with identifying and releasing bodies; oversees the cremation program for the Office of the Medical Examiner.

Requests medical records from doctor's office and hospitals; speaks to the deceased's doctors to obtain further medical history.
 
Answers phones (answer general questions from family members, funeral homes, and others); interfaces with public, answers indigent cremation program inquiries; investigates and answers inquiries about cold cases and unidentified bodies.
 
Contacts the police in reportable deaths in accordance with Office of the Medical Examiner's procedures and protocols.

Develops physical description of cadavers by viewing the body. Researches missing person reports, comparing physical descriptions to assist in identifying persons.
 
May assist with crime laboratory work in the field, assembling material evidence. Follows internal procedures to ensure proper handling of evidence including drugs, medicines, poison, x-rays of ballistic location in cadavers, fingerprints, weapons, etc.

Organizes case records for the deceased for cases to be processed by the Medical Examiner's Office. Case data includes medical and family history, reports of circumstances and evidence surrounding the death.

Prepares death certificates, releases of the body and other narrative and technical reports/forms as required by the situation. Prepares summary reports or cases using computer applications and enters case data into the Office of the Medical Examiner's data base.

Receives notice of death by telephone, in person, or from written reports. Conducts interviews to gather information surrounding the terminal event including physical descriptions of decedents and their personal habits; determines appropriate action to be taken.

Using established criteria determines if cases fall under the jurisdiction of the Medical Examiner's Office and initiates action for applicable cases.

Depending on assignment, may act as lead worker assisting with the training and with and work of other investigators and interviewing and research in office and field setting to determine the cause and manner of death.
 
Depending on assignment, may be assigned the task of overseeing the Indigent Program, which assists in the proper disposition of unclaimed and indigent bodies within Broward County.
 
Depending on assignment, may be assigned the task of overseeing the death certificates submitted for cremation approval that must be reviewed, and possibly investigated, each business day for the approval of the Medical Examiner on duty.

Depending on assignment, may be assigned the task of overseeing Broward County's cold cases, along with performing casework on all of the unidentified persons currently falling under the jurisdiction of Broward Medical Examiner's Office.
 
Depending on assignment, may be assigned the task of assisting with the purchasing and oversee the maintenance of investigative equipment, uniforms and County vehicles.