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New York Doctor Appointed R.I. Medical Examiner

Posted on: Thursday, 9 March 2006, 18:00 CST

By Felice J. Freyer, The Providence Journal, R.I.

Mar. 9--Health Director David R. Gifford has appointed a doctor from New York City as Rhode Island's new chief medical examiner.

Dr. Thomas P. Gilson, a medical examiner in the city's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, is replacing Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, who resigned in June. Gilson will start in May.

Gifford said Gilson was his top choice because of his extensive experience and his interest in computerizing and updating the medical examiner's job. He said the position took months to fill because forensic pathologists, the type of physician needed for the job, are in short supply. The position pays $151,257 a year.

But Rhode Island's medical examiner's office has a good reputation and offers the opportunity to take charge of a statewide program, without having to deal with city or county politics, Gifford said. "It allows him now to try to shape the office with his vision," he said.

Gilson will take the helm of a department that experienced some turmoil last year. Laposata's departure came abruptly, after Gifford discovered a backlog of uncompleted autopsy reports that was greater than Laposata had admitted. Laposata had already come under fire for failing to come to the scene of the Station nightclub fire in 2003, delays in providing autopsy reports for tissue donation, and employee complaints about working conditions. But she also was regarded as highly proficient, a medical examiner who never had a case overturned in her 12 years in office.

In a statement released by the Health Department, Gilson said, "This office has a history of performing good work, and I look forward to building on, and improving on, the foundation that currently exists." Gilson said he hoped to employ "recent technological advancements in forensic medicine" to better fulfill the office's mission.

Gilson currently works in the borough of Manhattan, according to Ellen Borakove, the director of public affairs for the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He took the Manhattan position in November 2002. Before that, he served as deputy chief medical examiner for the state of New Hampshire. Previously he worked in two other New York City boroughs, as acting deputy chief medical examiner in Staten Island and city medical examiner in Brooklyn.

One of Gilson's first responsibilities will be to recruit a new deputy medical examiner. Dr. Jennifer Swartz, who served as interim medical director after Laposata resigned, left the office in the fall. Dr. Dorota Latuszynski has been interim director since, while other physicians have filled in temporarily.

In the fall, Bob O'Donnell was appointed administrator, replacing the previous administrator, who died in August.

Gifford said that much progress has been made since August, when the state Bureau of Audits found that the medical examiner's office completed reports on only 4 out of 10 autopsies it conducted and used antiquated and redundant methods for record keeping.

Gifford said the office is keeping up with new autopsy reports while gradually completing the backlog from last year. Older autopsy reports will be done only on request.

"The morale and productivity down there has been really great," Gifford said.

But many of the changes that auditors recommended could not be completed until a chief medical examiner was on board. When Gilson arrives, the office will be able to move ahead with plans to computerize its operations and to seek certification from the National Association of Medical Examiners.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Providence Journal, R.I.

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Source: Providence Journal

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