|
If you have any questions about the training being offered or registering for a session, contact CHS.PartnerServices@oha.oregon.gov.
Referring a Case to a Medical Examiner
There are specific circumstances where a medical examiner should be certifying a death record, such as homicides, suicides, accidents and unlawful use of controlled substances. ORS 146.090 documents the full list of deaths requiring medical examiner investigation.
It is important for funeral directors and medical certifiers to select the correct option in OVERS when referring a case to a medical examiner.
For the case to appear in the medical examiner queue, the Refer to Medical Examiner link MUST be selected.
If Request Medical Certification is selected, the case WILL NOT show in the medical examiner queue for review.
After selecting Refer to Medical Examiner, search for and select the medical examiner office and medical examiner that will be reviewing the case and click Save.
Referring the case correctly ensures that the death record will be reviewed by the right person which helps with the timely registration of the record.
If you have any questions about how to refer a case to a medical examiner contact CHS.Registration@oha.oregon.gov.
Correctly Identifying the Informant
The informant on a death record is the person who supplied the personal information used to register the decedent’s death. Usually, the informant is the next of kin, but in rare cases could be a nurse, police officer, medical examiner, etc. Correctly identifying the informant is vital to the integrity of a death record. Death records require the informant’s full name, relationship to the decedent, and mailing address. The informant must be accessible if the information on a death record is disputed and in some cases is needed to authorize amendments. For example, the informant must approve of certain amendments to the marital status or the spouse’s name. Not having a clear informant makes amending the record or identifying where the information came from difficult.
There is always an informant for a record. In cases where there are no family, friends, or associates to provide the additional information, the person who informed the funeral home of the death and provided the decedent’s basic information would be the informant, because the personal information on the record came from them.
If you have any questions, please email CHS.Registration@oha.oregon.gov.
Q: Can the funeral director be the informant?
A: No.
Q: Can the informant’s name be “None,” “Unknown,” or a job title like “Nurse”?
A: No.
Q: Can the mailing address be incomplete, undeliverable, or “Unknown”?
A: No.
Q: If a family member comes forward after the record is registered, can the informant be changed?
A: No. The informant is the original source of the information used to register the record.
Q: Officer Smith conducts a welfare check on John Doe. She discovers the deceased, and immediately contacts the medical examiner and Jane, the next of kin. Jane’s husband, Jeff, meets with the funeral director and provides the decedent’s personal information for the death record. Who is the informant?
A: While there are many people and roles in this example, Jeff is the informant because he was the source of the decedent’s personal information to complete the death certificate.
|
The Facility Administrator Work Group
|
The Facility Administrator Work Group is an optional meeting for OVERS facility administrators to discuss helpful tips, training opportunities, workflows, strategies to overcome barriers, and other topics that will help with death records at their facilities. We hope to see you at this opportunity to support and collaborate with peers across the state!
Facility Administrator Work Group
April 10, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Register here!
|
|
 |
Pending Amendments: Leave a Comment to Be Notified When Complete
Counties sometimes receive orders for records that cannot be issued because the record has a pending amendment that must first be completed at the state vital records office. When this happens, county staff periodically check the record to see if the amendment is complete and the record can be issued.
You have another option! Instead of checking an order for a record that has a pending amendment, can add a comment to the record with your contact information asking to be notified when the record is amended. When Amendments staff complete the amendment, they will contact you to let you know it is ready for issuance. Be sure to leave the comment on the record rather than the order, as Amendments staff don’t check associated orders for comments. This practice will save you time and allow you to issue certificates as quickly as possible once the record is amended.
Please contact CHS.Amendments@oha.oregon.gov for questions about amending records.
The County Work Group
The County Work Group is an optional meeting for county vital records staff to learn about current vital records topics, ask questions and share ideas with each other.
County Work Group
April 30, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Register here!
|
|
 |
|
