KNOXVILLE - The premier professional and national organization for medical examiners has once again given its highest endorsement to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center.

Earlier this month, the National Association of Medical Examiners, or NAME, once more recommended full accreditation to the Knox County RFC, an honor the facility and its team have achieved since May 2010 – more than a decade and a half.

“This recognition lets everyone we serve know that Knox County delivers and maintains a high caliber of medicolegal death investigation,” said the center’s Director and Chief Administrative Officer Chris Thomas. “I am proud of everyone who works here. The job can often be difficult, stressful and even emotional but everyone on the team is a consummate professional and up to the task.”

Tennessee is the only state to require full accreditation from NAME and achieving it is no easy task. The certification requires a lengthy and rigorous 350-point inspection process that evaluates the quality of autopsy operations, laboratory procedures, and staff qualifications. Additionally, a NAME guest consultant conducts an onsite inspection of the facility every four years, and NAME officials annually review and monitor the office’s practices, policies and protocols.

As of the end of 2025, NAME has granted full accreditation to just under 100 of the country’s roughly 2,400 death investigation systems, meaning only 4 percent have achieved such recognition, according to the most recent study by the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.

“This endorsement assures every citizen we serve that the Knox County Regional Forensic Center operates at the highest level,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. “I’m proud of the exceptional work performed by the dedicated staff there. Their work is important, challenging, and largely behind the scenes. I’m grateful for their service and admire the commitment they bring every day.”

NAME performed an onsite visit at the Knox County RFC last summer and the next one is scheduled for 2028. Each year, however, the center is required to submit an annual report with continual verification of its documents, statistics and standards to maintain its active status.

The Knox County RFC, which operates 24/7, 365 days each year, performs autopsies for 23 counties and is the official medical examiner for Knox, Anderson and Blount counties.

The RFC’s mission is to provide accurate, timely, compassionate and professional death investigative services for the residents of Knox County and the counties it serves; identify and develop an understanding of sudden, unexpected and unnatural deaths, and educate the public about those deaths; assist law enforcement agencies in their investigations; offer consultation to medical professionals and attorneys; render unbiased opinions and testimony in court; and extend research and educational support for local and national medical, legal, academic and law enforcement organizations.