A new Regional Medical Examiner’s Office opened across from the Washoe County Administrative Complex in Reno. The Washoe County Capital Improvement Program paid $10.77 million for the new building. It replaced the former office on Kirman Ave., built way back in 1959. Since then it was renovated in 2003 and still not big enough for the ME to expand his caseload.

The office serves the residents of Washoe County, along with 18 other counties in Nevada and California. The office plays a critical role in investigating unexpected and unexplained deaths. So this is a huge deal for Washoe County officials and the entire community. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new office was on Jan. 18th.

The office is 20,980 square feet with exciting new eco-friendly features.

One new feature is renewable energy. The new heating and cooling systems will use an energy recovery loop system to capture more energy for exhaust emissions. So this saves a lot of money on energy. Also, all the indoor lighting is LED and will use low water-demand planting and will not incorporate sod or grass features. There will be two rooms designed for meeting with families, as well as a bigger visitor parking lot. Besides being user friendly, the new office has the latest tools for a modern autopsy.

The ME Office had 4,150 cases reported in 2016 and has 1,000 body exams per year. There are 15 full-time staff members, plus 10 part-time investigators and 3 full-time doctors. They also have several part-time contract pathologists. The building is soon to be nationally accredited and is user-friendly for both doctors and visitors.

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