Arkansas faces a critical shortage of forensic pathologists, with only seven physicians currently serving the entire states medicolegal death investigation system

The Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded $150,000 to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory on October 1, 2025, under the Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System program (CFDA 16.037) to establish an ACGME-accredited forensic pathology fellowship program in partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The fellowship delivers advanced, hands-on training in autopsy pathology, toxicology, scene investigation, and courtroom testimony to prepare physicians for independent practice in forensic pathology. The program integrates fellows into statewide public health initiatives including child death review, maternal mortality review, and overdose surveillance to translate forensic data into prevention strategies. Arkansas currently has only seven forensic pathologists serving the entire state, each performing 250–300 autopsies annually, with approximately 1,800 total autopsies processed per year at the crime laboratory. By providing in-state forensic pathology training for the first time, the program addresses the critical workforce shortage and builds a sustainable pipeline of qualified professionals to strengthen local death investigation capacity.

Performance occurs in Little Rock, Arkansas, with an award period extending from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. The assistance type is a project grant.

Each pathologist performs between 250300 autopsies annually, maintaining an overall caseload of approximately 1,800 autopsies per year at the arkansas state crime laboratory (ascl). This strain directly affects the timeliness, quality, and capacity of death investigations essential to public health, justice, and community safety. To address this urgent workforce GAP, the arkansas state crime laboratory, serving as the office of the state medical examiner, has partnered with the university of arkansas for medical sciences (uams) to establish the arkansas forensic pathology fellowship program, an acgme-accredited training program housed within a national association of medical examiners (name)-accredited facility. The program delivers advanced, hands-on education and mentorship designed to prepare physicians for independent practice in forensic pathology. Physicians are most likely to practice where they train. By providing arkansas-based forensic pathology training for the first time, this program builds a sustainable in-state pipeline of qualified professionals who will strengthen local death investigation capacity and improve justice and public health outcomes statewide. Key objectives 1. Expand forensic pathology training capacity: establish and sustain an acgme-accredited forensic pathology fellowship within arkansas to develop the next generation of forensic experts. 2. Develop competent practitioners: provide rigorous, hands-on training in autopsy pathology, toxicology, scene investigation, and courtroom testimony to ensure readiness for independent practice. 3. Integrate public health and safety systems: involve fellows in statewide initiatives such as child death review, maternal mortality review, and overdose surveillance to translate forensic data into prevention strategies. 4. Address workforce shortages: increase the number of board-certified forensic pathologists available to serve arkansas counties and neighboring regions with limited access to forensic services. 5. Leverage forensic data for prevention: incorporate participation in trust (toxicology realtime updated surveillance tracker) - a statewide overdose monitoring and prevention platform led by ascl to enhance fellows ability to link forensic toxicology data with actionable public health and safety responses.