Contacts:
Sarah Goodwin
Kathi Ovnic
Holly Korschun

July 23, 1998

EMORY PATHOLOGY PROFESSOR IS NAMED NEW FULTON COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER

Randy Hanzlick, M.D., associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, has been appointed the new Medical Examiner for Fulton County. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners made the appointment July 1 following the retirement of Saleh Zaki, M.D., a part-time Emory pathology professor.

Dr. Hanzlick has worked as a pathologist in the Office of the Fulton County Medical Examiner since 1982 and is highly regarded nationally for his service and research in the area of death investigation. He recently received the National Association of Medical Examiner's Outstanding Service Award and the National Center for Health Statistics Director's Award for Important Contributions.

Dr. Hanzlick's appointment also marks the beginning of a new formal relationship between Emory and Fulton County . The county has contracted with The Emory Clinic to provide forensic pathology services to the Office of the Medical Examiner. The new arrangement creates a win-win situation for Fulton County and Emory, explains Dr. Hanzlick. It benefits the county by giving them broader scope in recruitment while at the same time bolstering Emory's residency and fellowship training programs in pathology and forensic medicine.

The Georgia Death Investigation Act mandates investigation of all deaths due to injury or poisoning and all sudden, unexplained deaths. Each year between 2,000 and 2,500 unexplained deaths are reported in Fulton County and of that number the medical examiner's office performs approximately 1,000 autopsies. Dr. Hanzlick also will continue to direct the autopsy service at Grady Memorial Hospital, which performs about 120 autopsies each year and assists in training of Emory University medical students.

Other Emory pathology faculty members who work part-time in the medical examiner's office, which has a total staff of 36, include Michael Heninger, M.D., Carol Terry, M.D., and Eric Kiesel, M.D., Ph.D., as well as two fellows in forensic medicine.

The Office of the Fulton County Medical Examiner is currently located at 50 Coca-Cola Place, near Grady Memorial Hospital, but is scheduled to move next February to a new 33,000-square-foot building under construction near Turner Field.

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