As we approach our industry’s busiest time of year, the Maricopa County Office of Vital Registration (MCOVR) would like to share with all funeral home partners some suggestions and reminders regarding the remote attestation of medical certification and disposition-transit permit process. There have been a few barriers identified and there are a few recommendations to improve this process for all involved.
Our mutal priority is to serve the community during times of grief and sorrow, so in order to keep things running smoothly keep the following items in mind:
- The Medical Certification Unit within the MCOVR is responsible to review and complete every single cause of death record for Maricopa County, which could mean up to 300 records a day. This is on a first come, first served basis, including any that may need follow-up for additional information. Please take this into consideration and allow enough time to process these records and make sure all information is complete.
- Please also refrain from scheduling disposition without having received cause of death certification first. Although it is understood that you are trying to accomodate your family, the MCOVR office cannot guarantee that a sufficient cause of death will be received by your disposition date. Our goal is to avoid the undue stress of rescheduling a burial or service for all parties involved.
- During the holidays, it is not uncommon for MCOVR to receive a large number of Out of State permit requests. In order for this process to run smoothly, please ensure that the cause of death information is provided from the state where the death occured. Although some states do not require a cause of death for shipout, Arizona is required by law to receive cause of death information for any decedent whose final disposition occurs in Arizona. It is the responsibility of the funeral home to collect this information prior to the decedent being shipped to our state. If the death certificate does not contain this information, a letter on letterhead from a certified physician will suffice. MCOVR will alos accept a “Working Copy” of the death certificate.
For the full announcment from MCOVR, click here: FH Communication 11-13-13.