Onondaga County (population 467026)
Name of service/government operation: Onondaga County MEO's Office
Form of sharing: Medical Examiner's Office contracted to provide MEO services to Oneida County NY
Services affected: Death Investigation, Forensic Pathology, Case Review/Consultation and Testimony
Year started: 2012
Partners: Oneida County
Primary goal(s)/motivation(s): Increase level of service provided to Oneida County, utilizing the state of the art facilities at Onondaga County's Center for Forensic Sciences, while gaining efficiencies.
What planning process preceded the sharing? Several months of negotiations, contract formation and consensus building.
What governance structures and/or agreements are required to maintain this agreement? Contract formalizes level of service to be provided, and annually the counties will adjust payments based on actual expenses incurred in the year prior.
Benefits: Most benefits are to Oneida County, including higher level of service, access to state of the art facilities, quicker turnaround times on cases and slight savings to budget neutral cost. Onondaga County will see some efficiency gains due to economies of scale, and more resources on sight.
Impact on budget: Impact on Oneida County was nearly budget neutral, with slight savings in year 1 budget.
Impact on labor: Onondaga County has directly hired a Pathologist, Forensic Investigator, Autopsy Technician and Administrative Aide, and contracts with several Assistant Forensic Investigators in Oneida County.
Impact on service: Higher level of service vs. the old coroner system in Oneida County.
Key contact: Jason Dean