Arizona Revised Statutes Title 11. Counties § 11-591. Definitions

1. “Alternate medical examiner” means a physician who has training and competence in the principles of death investigation and who performs or directs the conduct of death investigations.

2. “Autopsy” means a surgical procedure in which internal organs are exposed, removed or examined for the identification of trauma or natural disease.

3. “Death investigation” means the investigation directed by a county medical examiner or alternate medical examiner into the circumstances surrounding a death occurring as prescribed in § 11-593.

4. “External examination” means an external inspection of a body.

5. “Forensic pathologist” means a physician who has successfully completed a pathology residency and a forensic fellowship or has extensive experience performing forensic autopsies in an official capacity.

6. “Investigative information” means information received by a medical examiner or alternate medical examiner from law enforcement, witnesses, family members, health care personnel or medical death investigators concerning cause and manner of death.

7. “Medical death investigator” means a person trained in the principles of death investigation.

8. “Medical examiner” means a forensic pathologist who performs or directs the conduct of death investigations.

9. “Nurse practitioner” means a person licensed and certified pursuant to title 32, chapter 15.  1

10. “Organ procurement organization” means an organization located within this state that meets the requirements of 42 United States Code § 273.

11. “Pathologist assistant” means a person certified as a pathologist assistant who has graduated from a pathologist assistant training program approved by a national accrediting agency for clinical laboratory sciences.

12. “Physician” means a person licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17.  2

13. “Tissue bank” means a person that is licensed or regulated under federal or state law or accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage or distribution of tissue.