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- Advocacy Win: Arizona Pathologists and CAP Amend Forensic Autopsy Legislation
Legislation on duties of medical examiners in Arizona was successfully amended by the CAP in partnership with the Arizona Society of Pathologists (ASP), the Arizona Medical Association (ArMA), and the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) on January 22. The amendment to House Bill 2065 retains proper physician supervision requirements for forensic autopsies.
Under current Arizona law, Arizona medical examiner offices are having difficulty utilizing board eligible forensic pathologists for the direct supervision of medical students, residents, and fellows in pathology training during the performance of forensic autopsies.
The original legislation proposed to remove board-certified forensic pathologist supervision requirements to permit any licensed physician to oversee forensic autopsies when performed by medical students, residents, and fellows in pathology training.
The CAP worked closely with medical examiner offices to amend the legislation to ensure that licensed physicians trained in forensic pathology could oversee forensic autopsies and rectify staffing issues for such autopsies.
The CAP will continue to monitor the bill as it advances.