Body Donation Process

Start by requesting a donation packet containing more information about the Body Donor Program, the body donation registration form and instructions, and a pre-addressed return envelope. Donation packets can be requested via telephone, email, or the online request form.

Requesting the information by filling out the online form does not constitute a pending donation. The donation packet will be mailed and will take 10-14 business days to be received. If death is imminent, please contact UW morticians directly at 608-262-2800 at any time of day.

Request a donation packet

A body donor registration form, filled out by the donor, must be on file with the Body Donor Program prior to the donor’s death.

The donation form is a legal document that must be signed by two witnesses. Information required includes the name and signature of the donor, other personal information, and the name of a person(s) responsible for carrying out the donor’s wishes.

Once the signed body donor registration form is received by the program, a letter and a wallet-sized card which indicates the wish to be a body donor will be sent to the donor for their records.

The body donor registration form arrives in the donation packet that we send to individuals upon their request. It is not available online.

At the time of death, the Body Donor Program should be contacted as soon as possible by telephone at 608-262-2800 at any time of day including evenings, weekends, or holidays. Time can affect whether a donation is accepted or not.

Upon notification of death, a Body Donor Program mortician will accept or decline the donation based on the physical condition and cause of death. If accepted, arrangements will be made for transportation to Madison.

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.

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.

It is important to know that occasionally a body must be declined. Reasons this may occur include certain infectious diseases or the overall physical condition of the donation. Those individuals who have donated their organs for transplantation (with the exception of the eyes) and those that have been autopsied, cannot be accepted. In the event that a body is declined, donors should have an alternate plan for disposition of their body.

It is a tradition at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health for students who have studied human anatomy to conduct an annual memorial service in recognition of their donor’s gift each spring. Next-of-kin or those responsible for the donor’s affairs are notified and invited to attend. Donors and their families are honored through a variety of student and faculty stories that describe the deep meaning of this gift.

The study of a body is typically complete after a period of 24-36 months and then the body undergoes cremation. There is a place on the Body Donor registration form to indicate if the cremated remains should be returned to the family or other responsible individuals. The remains of individuals not requesting cremated remains be returned are buried in a strictly confidential site located on university property that has been set aside for this purpose.