Referred to: The Health, Human Services and Human Rights Committee (Chair Uchitelle and Legislators Collins, Corcoran, Harmon, Kitchen, Lopez, and McCollough), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Collins, Hansut, Kovacs, Nolan, Roberts, and Uchitelle)

Chair of the Health, Human Services and Human Rights Committee, Abe Uchitelle, and Deputy Chair Craig V. Lopez offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Department of Health (DOH); and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Charter, Ch. A, Article V, Section A5-3 states, “The Health Department shall assure the provision of medical examiner services that promote the public health by or under the supervision of qualified Medical Examiner(s), accountable to the Commissioner of Public Health or Public Health Director;” and

WHEREAS, the “provision of medical examiner services” necessitates the hiring of a Forensic Pathologist, a professional from a highly specialized field of medicine trained to, through forensic science, determine the cause and manner of death to provide answers for families, protect public health, and inform the criminal justice system; and

WHEREAS, an individual trained as a Forensic Pathologist can serve the dual role to further include Medical Examiner as an efficiency implemented in other counties; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County has historically contracted the position of Forensic Pathologist through HealthAlliance Hospital, formerly Kingston Hospital to support a full-time position in this role as well as cover ancillary costs related to morgue space, supplies, lab tech time, and lab services; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County seeks to bring the position of Forensic Pathologist in county while maintaining the contract with HealthAlliance Hospital to continue the other services; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County seeks to utilize this position of Forensic Pathologist to further serve as the county’s Medical Examiner; and

WHEREAS, the County Executive is requesting unassigned funds of $5,756.00 remain in the Professional Services - Forensic expenditures budget for the option to consider additional necessary services to support the Forensic Pathologist in their duties, including but not limited to diener, histological, lab and toxicology services; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the 2025 County Budget is hereby amended as follows:

CREATE

DELETE

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:      

Passed Committee: The Health, Human Services and Human Rights on __________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on _______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT: 

$ 52,873.00 – INCREASE TO 2025 HEALTH INSRUANCE FUND

 APPROPRIATION DOLLARS   

$ 52,873.00 – INCREASE TO 2025 INTERFUND REVENUES