Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers
 
chapter
Regulations of the Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers [18 VAC 65 ‑ 20]
Action Licenses for funeral directors and embalmers
Stage Emergency/NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 3/3/2021
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2/13/21  5:30 pm
Commenter: Dianne Rencsok, Funeral Consumers Alliance of the Virginia Blue Ridge

Licensure requirement for Funeral Director
 

Although the creation of separate functions and, thus, separate licensure in the funeral industry is welcomed, I am concerned about the requirement in the new Funeral Director license for course study in Pathology.  My background is in the medical laboratory and, in that context, Pathology refers to investigation of human tissue.  In the biological sciences, Pathology refers to the disease process that affects an organism or a population.  If the Funeral Home receives a body of someone who died from tuberculosis, or in today’s world, Covid, the Funeral Director does not need to know the course of the disease in order to provide appropriate care to the family.  OSHA provides guidelines for safe handling of human remains.  The Funeral Director needs interpersonal and administrative skills in this profession.  If science were of interest, there are many other fields that provide employment opportunities.   This requirement should be removed.

 

CommentID: 97239