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The Tennessean, Rx for Metro office The old office was a mess. Charles Harlan was demoted as chief medical examiner in 1993 after reports of sloppy office practices and sexual harassment. The office went through four chief medical examiners in the next three years. There were allegations that the office was politicized. After the last full-time medical examiner left, the city contracted with a pathologist from out of state to fly in to perform autopsies at $600 each. The result was that funerals had to be delayed and investigations had to wait until after the autopsies were performed. There were reports that unqualified technicians were doing some of the work. In April 1997, at Bredesen's urging, the Metro Council awarded a $2.2 million contract to a Brentwood medical group to take over the office. Despite the apparent and deep problems within the office, some council members were reluctant to make such a drastic shift in a Metro department. Obviously, the drastic shift worked. Last month, the Metro Medical Examiner's office received its national accreditation. The smooth operation of the office is not just a concern in crime investigations. Many accident deaths and in-home deaths each year are reviewed by the office to determine whether an autopsy is needed. Metro taxpayers deserve the assurance that autopsies are performed in a timely manner and that the medical examiner's office operates efficiently. Today, that assurance exists. |
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