WAUPACA COUNTY GUIDELINES
FOR NOTIFICATION OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER

{Based on Wis. Statute 979.01;HFS 135; Wis. Act 336; and Waupaca County Policy)

 

ANY PERSON having knowledge of the death of any person who had died under any of the following circumstances shall report such a death IMMEDIATELY to the Waupaca County Medical Examiner: 

  1. All deaths in which there are unexplained, unusual or suspicious circumstances. 
  2. All homicides; 
  3. All suicides; 
  4. All suspected SIDS deaths; 
  5. All deaths following an abortion; 
  6. All deaths due to poisoning, whether homicidal, suicidal or accidental; 
  7. All deaths involving a boat, snowmobile, all terrain vehicle, bicycle or motor vehicle, regardless of the time span; 
  8. All deaths following accidents, whether the injury is or is not the primary cause of death; 
  9. All deaths where there was no physician in attendance within 30 days preceding death;
  10. When a physician refuses to sign a death certificate, either due to absence of the physician, or unwillingness or inability of the physician or his designee, for any reason, to sign the death certificate within 5 days after the pronouncement of death;
  11. All deaths occurring outside a hospital or nursing home (this includes hospice patients and community based retirement facilities); 
  12. All deaths where the body is to be donated to a school of medicine or other facility for research, training, or other  purposes; 
  13. All deaths when the death is pronounced in the outpatient or emergency department of the hospital;
  14. All deaths under anesthesia;
  15. All deaths following medical misadventure or suspected medical misadventure;
  16. All deaths occurring within 24 hours of admission to the hospital;
  17. All deaths of a fetus greater than 21 weeks of gestation.

Sign up for alerts

Learn More