In 1965, Fulton County became the first county in Georgia to abolish the office of Coroner, and established in its place the appointed office of Medical Examiner. Since that time, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett Counties have done the same. In Fulton County, the Medical Examiner must be a physician with special training in pathology, because the performance of autopsies and other postmortem examinations is an important part of the death investigation process. Because deaths occur around the clock, the FCME is staffed 24 hours per day 365 days per year. A total of 40 employees carry out the needed duties of the office, which investigates approximately 2500 deaths per year.
Cause of death has to do with determining which disease or injury actually caused death.
Information collected during the investigation may also help clarify the circumstances, such as the sequence of events prior to death, or the collection evidence that may lead to the arrest of a suspect in a homicide case. For example, FCME information was used to publish the first report of deaths among homeless individuals, and is now used as a model for monitoring deaths among the homeless in other parts of the country. Dozens of other scientific reports have also been published which advance knowledge in the disciplines of death investigation and public health. Or, autopsy may show the presence of a disease that can run in families and allow for proper diagnosis and treatment in surviving family members. Thus, the FCME not only performs specific death investigations, but contributes to the advancement of health and science, as well.