Travis County Medical Examiner's Office eee eee e Presentation to - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Travis County Medical Examiner's Office

Presentation to the Williamson County Commissioners Court

May 28, 2013

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• OBJECTIVES
• Introduction to the Medical Examiner's Office
• Why build a new facility?
• Consultant Report / Four Service Scenarios
• Next Steps
• Financial Model Options
• Williamson County Future Planning
• Open Discussion / Closing Comments

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INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE

• Established in 1977
• Governed by the Texas Code of Criminal

Procedures (Chapter 49)

• Moved to current facility in 1996 / 3 doctors
• Currently serves 42 outside counties by authority
• f the Texas Government Code (Chapter 791)
• Departments include pathology, forensic

toxicology laboratory, investigations, forensic autopsy techs and administration

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• •

WHY BUILD A NEW FACILITY?

• Existing facility is operating at its limit and

cannot support additional growth.

• Continued population growth is projected to
• ccur in Travis County and the TCMEO service

area.

• Failure to address population growth will impact

and possibly compromise National Association

• f Medical Examiner (N.A.M.E.) accreditation the

TCMEO has achieved.

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• WHY BUILD CONT'D
• Infrastructure is at capacity for supporting

instrumentation in both the autopsy area and the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory.

• Lack of space in processing and autopsy

areas creates a need for inefficient "work around" measures.

• Lack of file and supply storage.

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CONSULTANT REPORT I FOUR SERVICE SCENARIOS?

• Maintain service to the same set of client

counties - $27.1 M

• Provide service to Travis County only - $20.8 M
• Provide service to Travis County and CAPCOG

counties - $24.0 M

• Provide service to current set of counties, less

Williamson County - $24.9 M

(This report was completed in November of 2011. Another review of the financial estimates would need to be developed since time has elapsed since the report was done.)

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• FINANCIAL MODEL OPTIONS

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• Increase the autopsy fee each year to

gradually cover construction costs of the new facility.

• Establish a building surcharge fee in addition

to other fees charged for services.

• Joint venture with other counties in funding

the construction of a new facility.

• Other?

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• NEXT STEPS
• Update cost estimates in consultant report.
• Decide on a financial model to be used.
• Determine who participates.
• Develop agreements with partnering counties

and customer counties.

• Complete land selection process.
• Acquire funding for design work.
• Begin design work.

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• WILLIAMSON COUNTY FUTURE

PLANNING

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• Our largest customer of all 42 counties.
• Population will increase.
• A regional planning partner currently with

CAPCOG and two-way radio communications.

• A medical school will be in both counties.
• Currently have enough service demand for one

doctor.

• Together we can build a more efficient facility.

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• OPEN DISCUSSION I CLOSING

COMMENTS

• Are Williamson County and Travis County

interested in working together in constructing a regional facility?

• Are there other options or paths that have not

been considered?

• What next steps need to be put into place to

move this process along?

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