A groundbreaking ceremony for a new building to house the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office was held Aug. 3. The site is adjacent to the county’s Emergency Services Center at 22 Wells Farm Road in Goshen. The Medical Examiner’s Office currently is housed in the Emergency Services building.
The 18,175-square-foot facility is projected to cost $24 million with most of the funding coming from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).Orange County has received $74,770,002 in ARPA funds. The building is expected to be completed in the third or fourth quarter of 2024.
In addition to autopsy rooms, the new facility will include spaces designed for the comfort of people who come in to identify bodies.
“The new Medical Examiner”™s Office is necessary for our growing county and will provide comfort and compassion for grieving loved ones during a very difficult time,” Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said. “It will allow Medical Examiner Dr. Jennifer Roman and her staff to conduct their work in a cutting-edge facility designed to best serve our community.
In 2022, Orange County’s Medical Examiner”™s Office investigated 1,081 deaths. It conducted 514 autopsies and external examinations of bodies.
“The Medical Examiner”™s Office plays a critical role in investigating deaths, but they do much more,” Orange County Health Commissioner Dr. Alicia Pointer said. “Some of their functions include collection of data related to the opioid epidemic, child fatality review and prevention, and preparation for mass casualty events. This new facility will allow the Medical Examiner”™s Office to continue to do their work with professionalism and respect as they face new challenges and increased responsibilities.”
Participating in the groundbreaking event in addition to Neuhaus, Pointer and Roman were Deputy County Executive Harry Porr, Chairwomen of the County Legislature Katie Bonelli, Department of Public Works Commissioner Erik Denega and Legislators Barry Cheney, Joe Minuta, Paul Ruszkiewicz, Kathy Stegenga, Janet Sutherland and Pete Tuohy.
