PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
 

The information requested on this form is state-mandated for use on the ultimate death certificate, and must be completely filled in.  An appropriate registration form/s for making the declaration of the gift is/are enclosed.  The form/s should be executed in triplicate and signed by two witnesses.  The white copy is to be returned to the Department of Anatomy,  the pink copy is retained by the donor, and the yellow copy by your next-of-kin or executor/personal representative.   After receipt of the white copy, we will send you a Donor Card (within 4-6 weeks), which you may carry on your person.

Wisconsin Law provides that a person (while living) may arrange to donate her/his body to a medical school, provided such gift is for scientific, medical or educational purposes.  The Department of Anatomy of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School depends heavily upon donors for the continued high level of instruction available to young medical students here.  We are deeply grateful to those whose interest in furthering medical education in Wisconsin leads them to make this donation.

Anyone of sound mind and over 18 years of age may donate her/his body by registering with the Department of Anatomy.  The enclosed registration forms are legal documents when properly executed.  The Department does not accept donations from a person under the legal age, but may--at its discretion--accept such bodies following death at the request of the legal guardians.  A donor may revoke the gift at any time by notifying the Department and destroying the donation forms.  Also, bodies may be refused if death occurs in another state, unless the donor's family or estate wishes to assume the complete cost of transportation to Madison.  Additional questions may be answered by contacting the Department of Anatomy at 608/262-2888 on week days.

At the time of death, the next-of-kin or caretaker should notify the Department of Anatomy as soon as possible by telephone (608/262-2888 weekdays).  After hours, weekends, and holidays, call 608/262-2800 only regarding a death.  If no answer, call 608/262-0143 (Message Center) and leave a number.  Our departmental morticians, Robert Schlotthauer and Donald Zuther, will handle these calls.  Arrangements will then be made to transport the body to Madison by one of our morticians.  A funeral service may be held before the body is released to the Medical School.  If a service is desired or if pick up is delayed (see No. 4), the next-of-kin should call a funeral director who will arrange for the services or late pick up; he should notify the Department of Anatomy before embalming.

The bodies received by the Anatomy Dept are used for educational purposes.  We cannot furnish medical information.  If such information is crucial, arrangements should be made for an autopsy with subsequent disposal of the body by the family.  Moreover, the Department of Anatomy is not involved in the donation of specific organs.  Autopsied bodies and bodies from which major organs have been removed for transplant cannot be used in our educational programs.  However, bodies from which eyes have been removed for corneal transplants are acceptable.

NOTE:  Inquiries about donation of corneas may be directed to 608/263-6223, Eyebank-Eye Clinic, c/o University Hospital, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792.   For inquiries about organ transplantation, contact Organ Procurement at 608/263-1341 c/o University Hospital, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison WI 53792.   For inquiries about tissue donation (bone, skin, saphenous veins, connective tissue, and the heart [for valves]), call 608/233-9300 Ext. 371, American Red Cross Tissue Services, 4860 Sheboygan Ave, Madison WI 53705-0905.   The Wisconsin Kidney Foundation can be reached at 608/274-0441.

The Department of Anatomy may refuse the gift if the body is not suitable for scientific purposes; in that event, therefore, donors should consider an alternate backup plan for disposition of their body.  Note No. 1 below.

1) Occasionally we must refuse a donor's body in the following situations:  We cannot accept mutilated bodies (e.g., automobile accidents) or bodies which have undergone recent major surgery prior to death because they do not embalm well enough for our purposes.  Other physical conditions which may cause a body to be refused include obesity, jaundice, profound cancer, late renal failure with massive edema, and infectious diseases which may put the recipients at risk. Due to changes in a person's health over time, the decision to accept or refuse a body will be made at the time of death and not at the time of signature.

2) We accept bodies only from those persons who have made prearrangements by filing forms in advance with our Department.

3) The Anatomy Department morticians, Robert Schlotthauer and Donald Zuther, will make the removals and do the embalming.

4) Anatomy morticians do not make removals from private residences or from most nursing homes.   If death occurs in a private setting, the family must contact a local undertaker to make the removal and hold the remains until our mortician arrives.  However, we are able to pick up direct if death occurs in a hospital setting where there is a morgue.

5) On occasion our departmental morticians are unable to remove the body from the place of death (local mortuary or hospital) immediately due to distance, weather, or another commitment.   In those instances (see #4), interim funeral home expenses are the responsibility of the family.

6) Families may hold funeral services before we receive the body.  Any funeral expenses are the responsibility of the family.

7) The UW Medical School does not charge donor families for our services.

8) Once we have completed the study of a body, the remains are cremated.   Ashes will be returned when designated on the form provided, or if a written request is made to the Department soon after the donor's death.  Normally it is a year or two before ashes can be returned.  Ashes not returned are buried on University property in an unmarked grave.   The University does not maintain any grave sites.

9) Because we find it very important to maintain close control over our body donation program and to establish direct contact with our donors, we do not provide supplies of donation registration forms to third parties.  We send forms only to individual prospective donors who specifically request them from us.