Federal grant to help Cobb’s medical examiner complete cases faster
A $323,724 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s office will help reduce the time it takes to get back toxicology results from about 90 days to two weeks.
Cobb County’s Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Gulledge said one of his biggest frustrations is the time it sometimes takes to complete cases, according to a county statement. Often those delays are caused by a long wait for toxicology results, he added.
“This will allow us to help grieving families get answers and death certificates faster,” said Gulledge, “and this will let us give law enforcement more real-time information about dangerous drugs causing deaths in our community.”
The grant will allow the Cobb ME’s office to send requests to a private laboratory that would provide test results in two weeks compared to an average wait time of around 90 days.
Another part of the grant will allow Gulledge to hire someone to help the office write standard policies and procedures to streamline operations and set up the Cobb ME’s office for accreditation by the time it moves into a new facility.
