The Chanda Turner Reform Act (SB250) has been signed into law, and will go into effect Nov. 1, 2011! Families can now appeal their loved-ones' death certificates!

Christopher Young

CHRISTOPHER YOUNG was a talented artist and musician prior to his death in 2009. His mother, Kathy Young, went through the nightmare experience of dealing with our staggeringly incompetent ME's Office. One mistake after another led to an incorrect cause of death. Despite being told the consensus in the office was that the cause of death should change, the change was never made and Christopher's case was closed - with full knowledge of their mistake and with utter disregard for the truth. The family requested to speak to the Board that oversees the ME's Office and was denied. They have led a rally at the ME's Office demanding change, and have filed a formal complaint with the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision against pathologist Inez Yacoub.

    Annually, there is a Christopher Young Revival at Andrews Park in Norman.   The second annual Revival and Celebration of Life was held in August 2010, to carry forward Chris' spirit and love of art in an open venue.  The Revival benefits Progressive Independence, a non-profit which advocates for people with disabilities and helps them get back to work.  Read Kathy Young's thank you letter as published in the Norman Transcript on August 29, 2010 by clicking on the link.

    This is a "stencil" of Chris, done by one of his good friends, Robert Shope.  It currently appears on Campus Corner in Norman just ouside of where one of his favorite bars was:

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See KFOR report on Kathy Young's complaint with Medical Licensure Board and her release of the email from then-Chief Administrator Tom Jordan confirming the consensus amongst the other ME pathologists, and their toxicologist Dr. Curtis, was that the death certificate should change. Cherokee Ballard's response was, "the person [Tom Jordan] who wrote those emails is not a pathologist."  So our tax dollars are being used to pay "Chief Administrative Officer" Tom Jordan $90,000.00/year to "run" the Office, while also paying Cherokee Ballard $70,00.00/year to inform us that the CAO has no authority to have mistakes corrected because he's not a physician. That's $160,000.00/year of tax dollars wasted running devastated families around in circles by highly paid non-physician ME Employees.

This is only one of many examples of what grieving families are enduring from our tax-funded ME's Office.

Who We Are

Oklahoma families speaking out for REFORM.

You can also follow us on FACEBOOK.

Nov 16, 2010 Rally for Reform at the State Capitol.

Read Kathy Young's June 2010 plea to Governor Henry HERE.

Footage from picket at ME's Office during March 18, 2010 Board Meeting. The Turners and the Youngs request to be heard at the meeting was DENIED by Chair DeWayne Andrews: NEWS 9   KFOR  KOCO 

Read Kathy Young's letter to the Medical Examiner's Office here.

Read Kathy Young's complaint against pathologist Inez Yacoub with the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision here.

One of the issues the CHANDA TURNER REFORM BILL seeks to implement is a full and fair review process for families to correct mistakes and hold tax-paid pathologists accountable for their decisions.  Please print, sign and circulate the PETITION today. 

Another wrong the CHANDA TURNER REFORM BILL seeks to redress is having a Chief PHYSICIAN be in charge of the MEDICAL Examiner's Office.  In the year 2010 alone, there were no less than five (5) different "Chiefs" or "Acting Chiefs," one of whom was not even a pathologist.  We need a Board that does better than this, and people to whom they will be held accountable!