A Five Points mortuary owner who mixed up two bodies last month will be on probation with the state for three years in an agreement reached today
In order to reopen now, Pipkin Mortuary has agreed to numerous conditions, including monthly unannounced inspections and oversight by another Colorado mortuary provider, which has not yet been chosen, according to the state Department of Regulatory Agencies.
“This agreement provides Pipkin Mortuary the opportunity to correct its operating practices and to document its compliance with generally accepted standards for funeral establishment practice in Colorado,” DORA said in a statement.
Among the problems the investigation exposed, Pipkin “failed to maintain (its) facility in a sanitary and safe manner,” the findings stated.
The mortuary failed to get required signatures from next of kin before embalming clients, and kept its blank death certificates unsecured and its embalming room unlocked, according to the report.
Pipkin also must submit a written plan in the next 35 days to explain how it will prevent mixing up bodies in the future, as well as a written disposal plan for biohazardous chemicals, according to the agreement.
Mark Pipkin, the funeral home’s operator, was not immediately available for comment this afternoon. A staff member said he was meeting with a family to plan a funeral.
The state ordered the funeral home at 2531 Ogden St. to “cease and desist” funeral operations on Feb. 9, while the state investigated its operations.
Pipkin also did not filed for a state license until Feb. 1 after it received an official complaint for mistakenly burying the body of Imogene Jackson in a casket that should have held Evelyn Jackson on Jan. 29.
A new state regulation required Colorado funeral homes to register by Jan. 1. Until this year, funeral homes were not regulated by the state.
“We’re going to move forward now,” said DORA spokesman Chris Lines. “This agreement allows him to reopen and resume business, but more importantly for the consumer we think this assures a level of protection.”
Apart from the mortuary business, Mark Pipkin has a history of arrest dating back to 1973 through January, when he was charged with careless driving. His other arrests included numerous drug charges, assault, pimping, fraud, car theft, weapons charges and indecent exposure, public records show.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
