Characteristics of NAME-Accredited Medicolegal Offices in the United States in 2025

AI Summary

NAME accreditation nearly doubled since 2011 and now covers about 56 per cent of the US population.
Typical office serves roughly 1 million people with an annual budget around $5 million; per capita budget about $4.75, with wide variation.
Offices remain underfunded and understaffed: 565 forensic pathologists employed, 98 (15 per cent) vacancies, many offices lost resources since 2011.

Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2026 May 14. doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000001137. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

We reviewed 2025 year-end data from medical examiner and coroner offices accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME). The number of fully or partially accredited offices nearly doubled from 2011 to 2025 and now covers ∼56% of the US population. We analyzed data from 108 offices as of year-end 2025, having excluded 6 offices due to outlier status or insufficient data. The typical office served a population of ∼1 million people and operated on an annual budget of roughly $5 million. However, the population served and the budget varied by nearly 2 orders of magnitude. The average per capita budget was $4.75. Approximately 34% of all deaths were reported to medicolegal offices, and 20% were formally investigated and certified. Roughly 45% of investigated deaths were autopsied, but substantial inter-office variation was observed. Across the 108 offices, 565 forensic pathologists were employed (11% of total staff), with 98 (15%) positions vacant. Staffing averaged 2 to 4 forensic pathologists per million people served, but declined as office size increased. Investigator staffing correlated with both population served and geographic area covered. Overall, many offices appear to have lost resources since 2011 and remain significantly understaffed and underfunded.

PMID:42129599 | DOI:10.1097/PAF.0000000000001137

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