Procedures in Deathcare Certification within Los Angeles County

8/9/2019 Procedures in Deathcare Certification within Los Angeles County

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Michael K. BoykoMortuary Manager

Funeral Director

EmbalmerHillside Memorial Park & Mortuary


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I. Certification

II. Permits

III. Dos and Donts


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EDRS System governed by local health

departments and California Health

Department.An online system allowing for FDs,

Doctors, Coroners, & Hospitals to

communicate with Health Registrars

achieving quicker certifications with lessleg work.


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Faster Registration Process of Death

Certificates

Permit generation in MortuaryApproved methods for remote attestation

by medical certifiers (no more document

running)

Immediate ID & SSN verificationElectronic processing of DC amendments


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Official source of information about a

deceased person

Fourteenth Century in EnglandDeath Certificates today are both legal

and statistical documents.

Contains date, location, vital statistics,

and causes of death


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DISPOSITION PERMIT:Document which

outlines how human remains will be

disposed of.

For example:Mr. Stein is to be buried at

Hillside Memorial Park - the disposition

permit for his remains should readBurial at Hillside Memorial Park.


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A disposition permit is required to

proceed with the disposition of human

remains, and the document must remainon file with the health

department/registrar of vital records.

In order to receive this disposition permit

a correct certified death certificate mustbe filed.


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9/24

Most mortuaries will have a process for

making arrangements when families will

deliver the necessary vital statisticalinformation to the mortuary for the death

certificate. This information can be given

to the family more quickly if a pre-need

file was established by the deceased.Signing by NOK attests to correctness of

this legal document.


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The mortuary creates a file in EDRS for

the deceased. Name, DOB, and SS# is

automatically validated by the statessystem.

NOTE:Errors in name spelling, legal

name, how a name is registered with

government agencies, wrong date ofbirth, or wrong SS# can hold up death

certification process.


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Has the deceased

seen a physician

within the last 20

days?Questionable

circumstances

surrounding death?

Car Accident?

Suicide?

Pills/Medications?

Is the death following

a surgery or medical

intervention?

Has there been arecent fall of any

type?


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If yes to any of

these questions the

Mortuary must report

this case to theCoroner.

Hours? Days???

A case number must

be issued and theneverything is at the

Coroners discretion

Sign-Out Case vs. Full

Investigation

There is not always

an Autopsy justbecause the Coroner

is called.

Your families will be

given a contactnumber to call an

investigator with

questions.


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Rules on causes vary from Registrar to

Registrar.The Health Department that is

certifying the certificate must accept thePhysicians causes of Death.

The Mortuary has an extended dialogue

with the doctor as to the cause of death.

Usually there is a faxing process betweenMort & Phys that takes a few hours.


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The causes the Physician provides the

mortuary are then submitted to the

registrar for approval.At this time the Registrar may kick back

the certificate for misspelling, or

technical errors regarding Causes, Case

#s etc


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Once these causes are approved the

Mortuary then turns to the Physician to

sign the legal certificate (SEAL).Physician can sign the EDRS form that is

faxed to them from the database or do a

remote attestation declaring the death

verbally by phone.Example:Beijing Certification Last Week


16/24

Most certifications are done via signingthe faxed Death Certificate document

from EDRS. Once signed the doctor faxes

this form back to EDRS.

*Timing here is of the essence.

Physicians can neglect signing this form

for a variety of reasons.


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Physicians Portion Completed


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All information on the DC is entered and

double check by the Mortuary. It is now

officially submitted to the local healthregistrar for permitting.

Once the Health Registrar approves the

certificate EDRS allows for disposition

permits to be generated from the system.


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Burial May Take Place

Shipping of Remains Can Happen

Cremation CanT

ake Place


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If the death becomes a Coroners case

please do not call the Coroners Office to

request release of the remains under thegrounds of religious law.

Mortuaries have an active working

relationship with the coroners office (but

there are no favorites) and the rule is firstcome first serve.


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Do not set service times or dates for

services without speaking to your

Mortuary to assure availability.Remember just because there is a date in

mind doesnt mean that permits can be

secured in time.


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EDRS can not process Fetal Deaths.

Cases involving fetals deaths and babies

must still be physically brought to thephysician for signature and to the

registrar in person for formal

certification and permitting.Thus,

situations involving babies may takelonger.

NO COMPUTER INVOLVMENT


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Timing

Law of the Land vs. Religious Law

Standard Case vs. Coroners Case

Shipping

Impact on Jewish CommunityImpact on Jewish Community


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Please remind your families to stay calm

and the mortuaries are on their side. We

understand the goal is for expeditiousburials and shipping.

Documents

Procedures in Deathcare Certification within Los Angeles County