Coverdell funding enables the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to increase annual death investigations

Using Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program funding, the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) contracted with board-certified forensic pathologists which enabled the office to investigate a higher percentage of deaths in Maine without increasing fatigue or burnout of the full-time staff. Prior to the grant period, Maine OCME was processing fewer than 2,000 cases annually. By the end of the grant period, Maine OCME was processing over 2,500 cases annually, demonstrating a 25% increase in the number of death investigations conducted by Maine OCME during the grant period.