State Decides to Establish New Medical Examiner’s Office in Oxford
Addressing the Backlog of Cases in the North Mississippi Area
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety plans to open a brand new medical examiner’s office in Oxford. This development comes in the wake of a successful legislation, passed during the 2024 Session of the Mississippi, that involves the purchase of the former Rayner Eye Clinic located off Belk Boulevard in Oxford. This third state medical examiner’s office aims to serve all of North Mississippi.
Before this, the city had no local medical examiner’s office, with the closest facilities located in Biloxi and Pearl. As a result, backlogs of cases in the northern region of the state have been quite common. Some families end up waiting for weeks or months for autopsy results, delaying their ability to put their loved ones to rest or determine the cause of their deaths.
New Office to Benefit North Mississippi
The transformation of the former Rayner Eye Clinic into the new medical examiner’s office is projected to take about 12 to 18 months. As the work commences, a nationwide search for a suitable medical examiner for the new office has also begun.
Lafayette County Coroner Glenn Coleman expressed his enthusiasm about the project, quoting, “This will be a huge benefit to all coroners in North Mississippi and the families who have a death where an autopsy is needed,” he further insisted, “This doesn’t just affect Oxford and Lafayette County – it’s a huge benefit to everyone.”
Despite the foreseeable two-year time limit before the office reaches full operation, Coleman remains optimistic about the development, considering it a significant step towards progress.
Long History of Establishing a Local ME’s Office
Former Lafayette County coroner, Rocky Kennedy is quite familiar with the challenge of establishing a medical examiner’s office within the Oxford region. In his 12-year tenure as coroner, Kennedy, together with other local officials, made multiple attempts to convince the state to establish such a facility within the Lafayette County Business Complex and an old local hospital. However, none of these attempts materialized.
“It’s a big step and a big commitment from the state,” Kennedy said. “I think they were getting the calls from families who were waiting weeks for autopsies to come back who couldn’t memorialize their loved ones they wanted to. This eliminates that time delay for those families who are going through those hard times and that’s the most important factor.”
This new medical examiner’s office will indeed be a landmark addition to the infrastructure in the region, especially in terms of healthcare facilities. It not only signifies progress but also embodies the state’s commitment to its communities, demonstrating its relentless efforts in making sure that its residents receive the services they deserve in the timeliest fashion possible.
