In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. 1. "Alternate medical examiner" means a physician who has training and competence in the principles of death investigation and who performs or directs the conduct of death investigations.
2. 2. "Autopsy" means a surgical procedure in which internal organs are exposed, removed or examined for the identification of trauma or natural disease.
3. 3. "Death investigation" means the investigation directed by a county medical examiner or alternate medical examiner into the circumstances surrounding a death occurring as prescribed in section 11-593.
4. 4. "External examination" means an external inspection of a body.
5. 5. "Forensic pathologist" means a physician who has successfully completed a pathology residency and a forensic fellowship or has extensive experience performing forensic autopsies in an official capacity.
6. 6. "Investigative information" means information received by a medical examiner or alternate medical examiner from law enforcement, witnesses, family members, health care personnel or medical death investigators concerning cause and manner of death.
7. 7. "Medical death investigator" means a person trained in the principles of death investigation.
8. 8. "Medical examiner" means a forensic pathologist who performs or directs the conduct of death investigations.
9. 9. "Nurse practitioner" means a person licensed and certified pursuant to title 32, chapter 15.
10. 10. "Organ procurement organization" means an organization located within this state that meets the requirements of 42 United States Code section 273.
11. 11. "Pathologist assistant" means a person certified as a pathologist assistant who has graduated from a pathologist assistant training program approved by a national accrediting agency for clinical laboratory sciences.
12. 12. "Physician" means a person licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17.
13. 13. "Tissue bank" means a person that is licensed or regulated under federal or state law or accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage or distribution of tissue.