2016 DNA CEBR Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

The number of forensic case submissions to the Forensic Biology Section of the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner (ACOME) has continued to steadily rise from year to year. In response, staff scientists have worked extensively to implement novel ideas and systems in order to streamline sample processing, improve casework turnaround time, and reduce the backlog. Due to its relatively small staff size, members of the Forensic Biology Section are often asked to perform several duties in the laboratory, in addition to casework processing. The ACOME believes that by reducing some of these peripheral responsibilities, it will see an even greater return on investment for the staff training and systems that have been put in place, and significant backlog reduction will be realized. Through the proposed grant program, the ACOME will outsource its DNA report technical reviews, contract out the validation of its ArmedXpertTM DNA analysis software, conduct a Lean Six Sigma Kaizen project, and upgrade its CODIS server. These advancements will be performed in conjunction with an external laboratory audit and in-house training for staff scientists. Through the purchase of grant-funded supplies and staff overtime, the ACOME will work a minimum of 142 additional backlogged cases during the grant period. The ACOME projects a budget of $256,082 and an estimated timetable of 24 months (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018) for successful completion of the proposed effort. nca/ncf