West Virginia currently has a 240-day backlog of death certificates. Eyewitness News reported that with only a fourth of the full-time medical examiners needed to perform autopsies, the problem is far from going away. West Virginia is supposed to have 12 medical examiners who perform autopsies but only have three. Some families have been waiting eighteen months or two years for a cause of death report from the DHHR. Interim Secretary Dr. Sherri Young told Eyewitness News they’re focusing on attracting candidates for the open positions. Only 17 forensic pathologists graduated throughout the country last year, so West Virginia is not alone in the challenges with filling positions. The West Virginia DHHR has a career listing for a deputy chief medical examiner at $255,000.