Forensic Pathologist - Department of Public Health and Environment / Office of the Medical Examiner

City and County of Denver • Denver, CO

8d • $214,121 - $364,005 • Onsite

About The Position

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. What We Offer The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $209,102.00 - $282,288.00. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to: A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service 457B Retirement Plan 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program Location & Schedule In this position you can expect to work on site at the Office of the Medical Examiner, located at 500 Quivas St. The Office of the Medical Examiner is a 24/7/365 operation. This position is expected to be on location for all assigned shifts. Shifts are variable and on-call duties are shared between all Forensic Pathologists including the Chief. Who We Are & What You’ll Do Within the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE), the Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) investigates all violent, suspicious and unexpected natural deaths within the jurisdiction of the City and County of Denver. The goal of forensic investigation and autopsy is to develop logical, scientific, and unbiased information necessary to determine the cause and manner of death for the proper and accurate completion of the death certificate and autopsy report. The agency also offers death expert testimony/consultation, death scene response and investigation, and deceased identification and death notification. OME reports and other information can be found at: DDPHE: Office of the Medical Examiner. We foster an inclusive culture by respecting the values, customs, and authenticity of everyone and by implementing equitable public health strategies so Denver communities can thrive. As a Forensic Pathologist, you will perform postmortem examinations and medicolegal autopsies to determine cause and manner of death. Additionally, this position will assist the Chief Medical Examiner in assessing the quality of services provided and ensure staff and visitors conform with department policies at scenes and in the autopsy room and will assist in the development and implementation of office policies and procedures. This position will report to the Chief Medical Examiner and OME Division Director.

Requirements

• Education requirement: Graduation from an approved school of medicine plus completion of post-graduate training approved by the American Board of Pathology.
• Experience Requirement: None.
• Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
• License/Certifications: Possession of a license to practice medicine in the State of Colorado at the time of appointment (or eligibility for licensure with the application process initiated) and board certification in Anatomic or Anatomic/Clinical Pathology is required at the time of application.
• Must be eligible to sit for the Forensic Pathology Boards at the time of appointment.
• Must pass the Forensic pathology boards within 18 months of employment.
• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.
• It is a condition of employment that the Denver Police Forensics & Evidence Division form for consent for collection of a DNA sample be completed at the time of hire.

Nice To Haves

• Experience as a Forensic Pathologist or similar position at a municipality.
• Experience with, and interest in, training and/or mentoring Forensic Pathology Fellowship students
• Passion for mentoring, teaching, training, researching, and instructional methods.
• Expertise in forensic pathology principles, methods, processes, and tools.
• Knowledge of forensic pathology quality assurance, quality control, and reliability.
• Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, regulations, and executive orders.

Responsibilities

• Provides clinical functions of the office and provide technical oversight, mentorship, and leadership in the development and application of forensic pathology practices.
• Reviews deaths reported to the Office of the Medical Examiner as required by Colorado Statute and determines appropriate examination type including autopsy, external, and chart review.
• Performs medicolegal autopsies in accordance with accepted standards in the recognized medical specialty of forensic pathology.
• Orders and interprets necessary diagnostic tests to aid in the diagnosis of disease and non-natural pathology, understands the effects of postmortem interval on laboratory test results, and determines the cause and manner of death.
• Shares on-call responsibilities with other staff physicians, responds to homicide or other suspicious death scenes as requested by the Medical Examiner investigator or police department, and consults on the release of organs and tissue for recovery by procurement agencies.
• Gives testimony as to the cause of death and renders expert opinions in a variety of legal forums, both criminal and civil.
• Collects evidence and preserves it using accepted chain of custody procedures, documents findings at autopsy including pertinent traumatic injuries in the form of a written report, and photographs pertinent findings and traumatic injuries.
• Consults with medical experts as necessary to aid in the determination of the cause of death.
• Meets and/or confers with attorneys, law enforcement, and health professionals to discuss the autopsy findings and investigation.
• Meets and/or speaks with families to discuss the results of the autopsy and the particulars of the death investigation and communicates with the media and other interested parties about the autopsy report.
• Assists in the education and training of fellows, residents, medical students, interns, and others in the function of the Medical Examiner/Coroner and in forensic pathology.
• Assists in the planning and participation of research activities that the office collaborates on.
• Assists the Chief Medical Examiner in assessing the quality of services provided, helps ensure that staff and visitors conform with office and department safety policies at scenes and in the autopsy room, and assists in the development of office safety policies and in the development of office emergency preparedness plans.
• Assists in the collaboration with local, regional, and state law enforcement, investigative, legal, and medical agencies including public health.
• Along with all DDPHE staff, actively participate in emergency preparedness and response team activities to support DDPHE’s responsibilities outlined in the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. This may require being ‘on-call’ from time to time respond to emergencies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date
• Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree