Colleen Alvarez
Providence,AZ
Summary
Helpful professional commended as valuable team player with expertise in multiple departments and functions at the OCME, including investigations. Ready to bring 18 years of relevant work experience into my current position as the Unclaimed Decedent Compliance Manager
Overview
2027
2027
years of professional experience
Work History
Morgue Technician II
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
Boston, MA
2007 - Current
- · Setting up the autopsy room for postmortem examinations.
- · Assisted Medical Examiner in postmortem examinations including collecting toxicology specimens. Opened the body using a Y incision and removed the chest plate using rib cutters, eviscerating the internal organs and weighing the organs, measuring and recording fluids including blood, pericardial fluid, gastric contents and urine. Completing craniotomies with removal of the brain, dura and pituitary gland. Suturing, cleaning, and preparing the body for release.
- · Labeled and documented toxicological, histological, serological, and microbiological specimens. Identified, collected, and labeled evidence pertaining to each case.
- · Performed a chain of custody, using triplicate forms as well as the LIMS system, when releasing or accepting evidence, toxicological, histological, serological, and microbiological specimens to appropriate departments or facilities.
- · Performed scene response including identifying officers and medical staff in charge of scenes or hospital cases. Documenting personal effects and clothing of deceased on a chain of custody triplicate form.
- · Body processing in accordance with specific case types. Weighing and measuring the body as well as taking an intake photo of the deceased. Unless directed by a Medical Examiner or State Trooper, undressed and decedents and took fingerprints.
- · Recorded all information collected on the decedents toe tag. All demographics entered into the CMTS (Case Management Tracking System) and the decedent and their belongings itemized in the LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System).
- · Perform Body release in accordance with official standard operating procedures
- · Performed duties at the operations desk including body processing, body release, delegation of duties to other technical staff, organizing scene response by OCME technical staff or contracting a funeral home/removal service. Stocking, cleaning, and organizing lunch schedules for the technical staff. Answering the phones and taking vital statistics for case release.
Morgue Technician II Toxicology Technician
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
Boston, MA
2007 - Current
- · Organizing all toxicology specimens generated between toxicology deliveries. All specimens were organized and matched with a requisition created by the doctor.
- · Specimens were scanned out of LIMS and delivered by me to the Forensic Toxicology Lab in Worcester. Each case and specimen was logged in on a toxicology tracking sheet.
- · Each case was submitted with the toxicology requisition form. The specimens and forms were reviewed with the Lab Technician for quality assurance and a chain of custody is signed by both the Lab Technician and myself.
- · Handled the organization of the specimen storage area and helped develop a new storage system. Identified all specimens and entering cases into LIMS and CMTS. Delegating tasks to available staff to log in specimens to LIMS and CMTS. Provided opinions for storage units based on functionality for the technical staff.
- · Providing information and opinions to the Technical Manager for standard operating procedures regarding the collection, packaging, computer system input, and physical placement of all toxicological and tissue specimens.
- · Reorganizing and generating a functional system for the set up and preparation of Neuropathology exams. Also drafted a procedure for the catalogue and discard of the tissue after it has been examined and specimens have been retained.
- · Retrieving toxicology and blood samples. Appropriately packaging specimens and preparing chain of custody forms. Sending specimens to other testing facilities or law enforcement agencies upon request of the legal department or Medical ExamiRequestse. requests for DNA, Paternity, or evidence for legal matters.)
Morgue Technician II Technical Staff Trainer
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
Boston, MA
2007 - Current
- · Responsible for training 15 Technicians and 2 Supervisors to date
- · Created a training format for standard autopsy room and scene response duties
- · Assisted in the applicant review process and providing input on candidate selection
Morgue Technician III Staff Supervisor
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
Boston
2007 - Current
- · Managed daily operating procedures of the technical staff. Created shift change reports.
- · Delegated assignments to the technical staff such as autopsy room duties, scene and hospital responses, x-ray completion, stocking, cleaning, and managing the technical lunch breaks.
- · Attended daily morning meetings and coordinated with the Medical Examiner case schedules on the case roster.
- · Coordinated with law enforcement agencies for attendance to certain cases or to pick up any evidence pertaining to past cases. Delegated assignments to satellite offices with no supervisory staff.
- · Completed the monthly technical staff schedule for 3 satellite offices.
- · Attended monthly performance review meetings with the technical manager and continued to oversee the training program for the technical staff.
Morgue Technician II Staff Supervisor
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
Sandwich, MA
2007 - Current
- · Manage the daily operations of the Cape Cod Satellite Office.
- · Complete the monthly technical staff schedule for all 4 Offices.
- · Coordinate scene and hospital removals for the Bristol County and Barnstable Cape and Islands areas.
- · Coordinate support staff with the Boston Operations desk.
- · Completed and evidence reorganization for all Bristol and Barnstable County cases.
- · Cleared out bag log of evidence for Bristol and Barnstable County cases.
- · Work in coordination with the Evidence Officers for Bristol CPAC and Barnstable CPAC.
- · Continue to give input on applicant selection and sit on the interview panel for possible candidates for employment.
Intake Specialist 2016-2018
Massachusetts Medical Examiner
Boston, MA
2007 - Current
- Conducted initial case assessments to determine eligibility for services and resources.
- Utilized electronic health record systems to maintain accurate patient data and case files. Answer phone calls from death scenes, hospitals, and other medical facilities to collect detailed information for medical examiners' review. -
- Collect demographics, circumstances of death and past medical history for entry into case management system. - Creates case record with intake information, including any related supplemental case information. - Requests medical records, hospital admission blood samples, police reports, and other medical history after initial case intake as needed. - Monitors cases involving organ and tissue donation to ensure OCME is notified and updated regarding status and interacts with District Attorney regarding case details as needed.
- Coordinated with Mortuary Technical Staff case information required for transportation of decedent to OCME.
- Coordinated exams by District Medical Examiners ( DME) as needed, including faxing paperwork, contacting Funeral Homes and relaying case information to assigned DME. - Assists Funeral Homes with information on declined cases as needed
- Streamlined intake processes, improving efficiency in data collection and processing time.
Medicolegal Investigator 2018-Present
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
Boston, MA
2007 - Current
- * Investigate circumstances of deaths within Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist in determination of cause and manner of death as well as identification of deceased'
- *Request and review medical records related documents and radiographic images.
- * Interview family members of the deceased, members of law enforcement, first responders, and medical professionals.
- * Provide written reports directly to Medical Examiners and assist Pathologists, as necessary.
- * Interact daily with OCME staff and funeral directors. - Interact with law enforcement agencies.
- * May meet with families of the deceased to confirm visual or forensic identification
- * Participate in daily or weekly meetings with Medical Examiner and CME or DCME staff to discuss findings of examinations and investigations conducted
Unclaimed Decedent Compliance Manager 2024-Present
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
Boston, MA
2007 - Current
- * Conduct reviews of all in house OCME cases in custody more than 7 days.
- * Review and follow up on cases in house at OCME longer than 15 days. To include the requesting of x-rays and dental charting, calling families to review the OCME release process, searches for next of kin and distant relatives, documentation of the search process and results.
- * Create Burial packets that include next of kin searches (Accurint, Ancestry, and Namus), Enter cases with no next of kin in the Namus database.
- *Complete MRO searches for military records.
- *Create supplemental reports documenting the search process for next of kin from the say of acceptance to release.
- * Refer cases to VSO staff for final disposition if the decedent qualifies
- * Refer cases to a Public Administrator if a decedent has assets to cover their final disposition costs.
- * Update and maintain an Excel log of all cases in the OCME after 7 days and continuously maintain status updates.
- * Refer cases to the Department of transitional assistance for approval to be buried by the OCME Burial program.
- * Enter burial approved cases into the release portal.
- * Enter demographic information into the electronic death certificate system.
- * Retrieve burial permits from the Mavric system and submitting them to the cemetery for approval for burial
- * Co-ordinate with the burial dates and times with the Mortuary Director and the cemetery
- * Attach of completed burial permits sent back by the cemetery in CMTS.
- * Check toe tags, case numbers, and apply burial tags to the decedents prior to release.
- * Sign out of the bodies and preparing the release forms for release and attaching them in CMTS when the release is completed.
- * Create purchase orders for the burials and burial markers and submitting them to Web and Joe for approval.
- * Duties as assigned by the Chief Medical Examiner, Chief of Investigations, and Deputy Chief of Investigations.
Education
Associate of Science - Surgical Technology
New England Institute of Technology
East Greenwich, RIHigh School Diploma -
Classical High School
Providence, RI06-2001
Skills
- Attention to detail
- Troubleshooting
- Documentation and reporting
- Deadline oriented
- Extensive organizational skills
- Works Well Under Pressure
- Multitasking and organization
Timeline
Morgue Technician II
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
2007 - Current
Morgue Technician II Toxicology Technician
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
2007 - Current
Morgue Technician II Technical Staff Trainer
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
2007 - Current
Morgue Technician III Staff Supervisor
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
2007 - Current
Morgue Technician II Staff Supervisor
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
2007 - Current
Intake Specialist 2016-2018
Massachusetts Medical Examiner
2007 - Current
Medicolegal Investigator 2018-Present
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
2007 - Current
Unclaimed Decedent Compliance Manager 2024-Present
Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office
2007 - Current
Associate of Science - Surgical Technology
New England Institute of Technology
High School Diploma -
Classical High School