Requirements of the Body Donor Program
We accept bodies only from persons who have made prearrangements by filing body donation registration forms in advance with our program. Registering for the Body Donor Program is not part of a medical record. Medical personnel will not be aware of any body donation decisions or arrangements. We strongly urge that potential donors discuss this with their family or other responsible individuals. Potential donors should review the requirements for body donation carefully and inform their executor of alternative arrangements in case the body gift must be refused on the basis of unsuitability for educational purposes.
Having an opportunity to do hands-on dissection really sets a blueprint in your mind.
- Harold Gries, MD program alumnus
Condition of the Body
Due to changes in a person’s health over time, the decision to accept or decline a body will be made at the time of death by the UW mortician, and not at the time the donor signs the registration form. Registration does not constitute acceptance in advance.
Occasionally we must refuse a donor’s body because it is not suitable for educational purposes. We cannot accept bodies that have suffered major trauma at the time of death (e.g., automobile accidents), bodies that have unhealed major surgery prior to death or have been autopsied, or bodies from which major organs have been removed/donated.
Other conditions that may cause a body to be refused include obesity, malnutrition, excessive edema, hepatitis, jaundice, and infectious diseases (such as HIV, hepatitis or COVID-19).
Removals
If death occurs in a private setting, the family must contact a local funeral home to make the removal and hold the remains until our mortician arrives. Any funeral home expenses are the responsibility of the family or other person(s) responsible for posthumous affairs. However, we are able to make removals if death occurs at a hospital facility that has a morgue. Body Donor Program morticians do not remove bodies from private residences and most nursing homes.
On occasion, our department mortician is unable to immediately remove the body from the place of death (local mortuary or hospital) due to distance, weather, or another commitment. In those instances, interim funeral home expenses are the responsibility of the family.
Funeral Services
Families may hold funeral services before we receive the body. Any funeral home expenses are the responsibility of the family, including paperwork if performed by the local funeral director.
Fees for UW Services
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health does not charge donor families for our services.