ME and Law Reinforcement

We are always grateful for the support and assistance of medical examiners and law enforcement personnel


Lions Medical Eye Bank and Research Center of Eastern Virginia is proud to maintain an exceptional working relationship with Medical Examiners and Law Enforcement personnel who serve the Tidewater Region. With their support and assistance, our eye bank is able to bring comfort to more families who find solace in giving the gift of sight through donation of their loved ones’ tissue and, in turn, we assist more men, women, and children in need of sight restoration. Special recognition is due to the Investigators and Medical Examiners at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, located in Norfolk, Virginia. Their tireless efforts routinely go beyond the call of duty in support of citizens in their service area. On behalf of the whole community, we thank you dearly.

The law enforcement agencies and Medical Examiners are governed by Commonwealth of Virginia Code, which explains that when a death occurs unassociated with a hospital and the body is in the custody of law enforcement, that a referral of the information about the deceased is to be made to the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) serving that region. In the Tidewater region, that OPO is LifeNet Health.

Nearly half of all deaths in the Tidewater region occur each year outside of the Tidewater area hospitals. Prior to recently increased education, none of these deaths were being referred. Since the creation of the program at LifeNet Health with a goal of educating public safety officers of their role under the law, there has been an increase in the number of referrals reported by law enforcement and medical examiners. This increase in referrals has resulted in greater service to the citizens of the Tidewater region, allowing more grieving families the option of donation to assuage the pain of their losses and more ailing blind individuals the ability to see again through the anatomical gift of strangers.

For more information about the education program at LifeNet Health, please contact Teresa Norrell, Public Safety Donation Educator, by email teresa.norrell@lifenethealth.org.

Nearly half of all deaths in the Tidewater region occur each year outside of the Tidewater area hospitals. Since the creation of the program at LifeNet Health with a goal of educating public safety officers of their role under the law, there has been an increase in the number of referrals reported by law enforcement and medical examiners.