A. The Chief Medical Examiner may appoint for each county and city one or more medical examiners, who shall be licensed as a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner in the Commonwealth and appointed as agents of the Commonwealth, to assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner with medicolegal death investigations. A physician assistant appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2952. A nurse practitioner appointed as a medical examiner shall practice in accordance with § 54.1-2957.
B. At the request of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Assistant Chief Medical Examiner, or their designees, medical examiners may assist the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner with cases requiring medicolegal death investigations in accordance with § 32.1-283.
C. The term of each medical examiner appointed, other than an appointment to fill a vacancy, shall begin on the first day of October of the year of appointment. The term of each medical examiner shall be three years; however, an appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term.
Code 1950, § 32-31.16; 1952, c. 318; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 475; 1979, c. 711; 2014, c. 583; 2015, c. 107; 2017, c. 170; 2018, c. 776; 2022, c. 151.
Structure Code of Virginia
Chapter 8 - Postmortem Examinations and Services
§ 32.1-277. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; central and district offices and facilities
§ 32.1-278. Appointment and qualifications of Chief Medical Examiner
§ 32.1-279. Duties of Chief Medical Examiner; teaching legal medicine
§ 32.1-281. Commissioner may obtain additional services and facilities
§ 32.1-282.1. Per diem medicolegal death investigators
§ 32.1-283. Investigation of deaths; obtaining consent to removal of organs, etc.; fees
§ 32.1-291.1. Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act; short title
§ 32.1-291.3. Applicability of Act
§ 32.1-291.4. Who may make anatomical gift before donor's death
§ 32.1-291.5. Manner of making anatomical gift before donor's death
§ 32.1-291.6. Amending or revoking anatomical gift before donor's death
§ 32.1-291.7. Refusal to make anatomical gift; effect of refusal
§ 32.1-291.8. Preclusive effect of anatomical gift, amendment, or revocation
§ 32.1-291.9. Who may make anatomical gift of decedent's body or part
§ 32.1-291.10. Manner of making, amending, or revoking anatomical gift of decedent's body or part
§ 32.1-291.11. Persons that may receive anatomical gift; purpose of anatomical gift
§ 32.1-291.12. Search and notification
§ 32.1-291.13. Delivery of document of gift not required; right to examine
§ 32.1-291.14. Rights and duties of procurement organization and others
§ 32.1-291.15. Coordination of procurement and use
§ 32.1-291.16. Sale or purchase of parts prohibited; penalty
§ 32.1-291.16. Sale or purchase of parts prohibited; penalty
§ 32.1-291.17. Falsification, etc of document of gift; penalty
§ 32.1-291.21. Effect of anatomical gift on advance health-care directive
§ 32.1-291.22. Cooperation between Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and procurement organization
§ 32.1-291.24. Uniformity of application and construction
§ 32.1-291.25. Relation to Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act
§ 32.1-292.2. The Virginia Donor Registry
§ 32.1-296. Determination of death
§ 32.1-297. Action for implied warranty in connection with transfer of blood or human tissue
§ 32.1-297.1. The Virginia Transplant Council
§ 32.1-297.2. Discrimination prohibited
§ 32.1-298. Notification of Commissioner and delivery of bodies
§ 32.1-299. Distribution of bodies
§ 32.1-300. Records of bodies distributed
§ 32.1-301. Burial, cremation, or return of bodies after scientific study
§ 32.1-302. Importation of anatomical material
§ 32.1-303. Penalty for trafficking in bodies