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Median time to complete autopsy reports (days)
Perform the processes necessary to certify deaths falling within the agency's jurisdiction. — Perform autopsies and examinations necessary to determine cause and manner of death.
OCME's own reporting attributes the FY22-FY25 improvement in autopsy turnaround (140 to 92 days) to investments in staffing, lab equipment, and new postmortem CT scanners, plus a shift toward using external examinations and toxicology testing rather than full autopsies for some overdose deaths. The subsequent increase after FY25 is attributed to a loss of about one-third of Medical Examiner staff through retirements and recruitment by other jurisdictions amid a nationwide forensic-pathologist shortage, along with the temporary consolidation of autopsy operations from three facilities to two.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report, NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Preliminary Fiscal 2026 Mayor's Management Report
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 140 days | 90 days |
| FY23 | 110 days | 90 days |
| FY24 | 118 days | 90 days |
| FY25 | 92 days | 90 days |
| FY26 (YTD) | 109 days | 90 days |
Why this is tracked
OCME was created on January 1, 1918 under a 1915 New York State law that abolished the office of Coroner of New York City, a position that did not require any medical training. Dr. Charles Norris became the city's first Chief Medical Examiner and built the office into a pioneer of forensic medicine and toxicology in America. Today OCME investigates and certifies deaths that are sudden, violent, unexplained, or otherwise fall within its legal jurisdiction, producing the official record used by families, courts, and insurers.
Wikipedia - Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York, Wikipedia - Charles Norris (medical examiner)
Source: IT Case Management System — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: Median time to complete autopsy reports, which detail the cause and manner of death as well as other findings, after autopsy completion.