COM Gift of Body Policy

Responsible Unit: COM | Executive lead: Dean, COM 
Created: 6/2013 | Reviewed/Revised: 6/2015, 11/2023 | Effective: 11/14/2023
Compliance: RCW, WAC 
Approving Body: PAC | Classification: Institution-wide 

Purpose:  
The purpose of this document is to set forth the policies and procedures by which dead human bodies are donated, received and used in the educational programs of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (“PNWU”).  

Policy:  
The responsibility to implement and monitor the Gift-of-Body Program is assigned by the Board of Trustees, the president, and the dean to the Chairperson of the Department of Anatomy. 

PNWU will meet the applicable Washington State statutes, including, but not limited to the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (Chapter 68.64 RCW) and all policies will be construed with that intention. 

Definitions:  
N/A 

Procedure:  
As soon as possible after a person whose body has been donated to PNWU dies, the Chairperson of the Anatomy Department or his/her appointed agent (the “Chairperson”) should be notified of the death by the person or entity (e.g., family of the deceased, a funeral home, a social worker, or other individual or organization) with knowledge of the Gift.  Phone calls or emails that come to the University central office or other offices pertaining to such a death should be promptly forwarded to the Chairperson. 

As soon as possible after notification, the Chairperson shall contact the source of the notification (e.g., family, hospital, care facility, or funeral home) to determine if the Gift Body meets the minimum criteria for acceptance.  PNWU may, for example, refuse to accept the body of a person who died too distant from Yakima, WA to arrange transport, died traumatically, was an organ donor (except eyes), died with or of an infectious disease that would pose a risk to faculty, staff and students, or is morbidly obese.  PNWU may also refuse to accept the body if the body is beginning to decompose or will become decomposed due to poor embalming. The Chairperson may require assurance in writing or by email from the family, hospital, care facility or funeral home that the body meets such minimum criteria for donation.  If such assurance is not forthcoming, the Gift Body may be refused, or if assurance is later found to be in error, PNWU may refuse to accept the Gift Body. 

PNWU may also refuse to accept any body, if its storage facilities are full or if the University does not have need for Gift Bodies at that time.  If PNWU does not accept the body for any reason, PNWU will not accept responsibility for any financial claims for embalming and transportation. 

If, in the Chairperson’s opinion, the deceased meets the minimum criteria for accepting the Gift, the Chairperson shall arrange embalming and transportation of the embalmed body to PNWU by a licensed funeral home. 

PNWU expects the family or estate to pay for embalming and transportation. However, the Chairperson has authority to agree to payment by PNWU for reasonable charges to a funeral home for these services if the family or estate is unable or unwilling to pay.  In that event, PNWU will only pay for services that are directly involved with embalming, transportation and record-keeping of the deceased. 

PNWU will provide a descriptive brochure to potential donors, the content of which will also be available on PNWU’s website.  The descriptive brochure will include the forms donors will use to donate a gift body, as well as terms and conditions of PNWU’s gift-of-body program. 

Additional Procedures 
The procedures for the Gift-of-Body Program are further divided into 1) procedure for donation; 2) procedure for receiving; 3) procedure for utilization; and 4) procedure for final disposition of remains. 

Procedure for Donation 
An entire dead human body may be donated to PNWU Gift-of-Body Program by two methods: 1) a donor can complete a Gift-of-Body form before his/her death; or 2) the immediate next-of-kin can donate a deceased person’s body by properly completing the Gift-of-Body by Next-of-Kin form.  Copies of these two forms are shown below. 

Procedure for Receiving 
The Chairperson shall contact the funeral home that receives the donated body to coordinate prompt delivery of the donated body to PNWU facilities.  Upon arrival of the body at PNWU facilities, the Chairperson shall assure that an appropriate donor form, with authorization to cremate the body, accompanies the body.  The Chairperson shall inspect the body to verify that it is intact, useable, and acceptable.  If accepted, the Chairperson shall see that the body is properly prepared and stored.  It is expected that the funeral home will handle the processing of the death certificate, and should provide the burial-transit permit which is generated when the death certificate is filed with the local health officer or local registrar of vital statistics; however, the Chairperson should confirm this with the funeral home.  

The Chairperson shall complete the Gift-of-Body Record of the Gift-of-Body in a timely fashion.  A copy of the Death Certificate or Death Abstract shall be obtained from the funeral home or other state or county agency, as necessary. The Gift of Body Record will be in substantially the form as shown below.  A separate physical and/or digital file will be created for each Gift Body, the contents of which shall be retained indefinitely by the University in a secure location. 

Procedure for Utilization 
All Gift Bodies or parts of Gift Bodies shall be used principally for dissection and demonstration by PNWU students and/or faculty.  The Chairperson, Department of Anatomy, may allow some Gift Bodies or parts of Gift Bodies to be used for anatomical research studies or at other academic institutions or health care facilities for the education or training of other health professions students or health care professionals.  Other educational institutions or health care facilities that request Gift Bodies or parts of Gift Bodies shall assure compliance with the standards set forth in this document. 

All bodies and body parts will be identified to those who dissect only by the number assigned on the Gift of Body Record (above).  The “Cause of Death” and age as listed on the Death Certificate or Death Abstract for each body used by students may be shared with students or others who dissect. 

Students or others who dissect will be informed in writing and verbally at the beginning of each course of instruction of the importance of the Gift Bodies to their education or training.  PNWU students will also be informed in writing and verbally that no disrespect or improper behavior toward the Gift Bodies will be tolerated and that such disrespect will be referred to the Dean and/or the Student Progress Committee for possible sanction.  Any disrespect or improper behavior toward the Gift Bodies by others who use the material will not be tolerated and will result in the immediate loss of privilege to use PNWU Gift Bodies. 

Individual students or groups of students will be given the opportunity to dissect on one or more Gift Bodies as such dissection is a component of required or elective courses.  Dissection which is a required component of a course shall follow a prescribed method of dissection so as to maximally utilize the Gift Body.  Some students may be allowed to dissect, observe dissection or prosection of part or all of a Gift Body under faculty supervision when the student wishes to review or expand his/her knowledge of anatomy.  Area high school students at least 15 years of age and other college or university students may be allowed to see dissected or prosected Gift Bodies as part of career exploration activities lead by PNWU faculty or approved PNWU students but will not be allowed to dissect Gift Bodies. 

During dissection, PNWU students will be instructed to carefully retain all the dissected remains of any individual Gift Body separate from all other Gift Body remains, thus allowing subsequent individual cremation. Similarly, parts or all of Gift Bodies used for instructional or research purposes at other educational or health care facilities shall be retained in a manner to assure that remains of each individual are identified by the assigned number and separate from the remains of other individuals. 

Anyone directly handling or touching human remains must: (a) Wash hands and other exposed skin surfaces with soap and water or equivalent immediately and thoroughly after contact with human remains, blood, or body fluids; (b) Use barrier precautions if a procedure involves potential contact with blood, body fluids, or internal tissues of the deceased; (c) Not eat, drink, or smoke in areas where handling of human remains or body fluids takes place; (d) Use reasonable precautions to prevent spillage of body fluids during transfer and transport of human remains including, when necessary containing, wrapping, or pouching with materials appropriate to the condition of the human remains; (e) Wash hands immediately after gloves are removed; (f) Take precautions to prevent injuries by needles, scalpels, instruments, and equipment during use, cleaning, and disposal; (g) Properly disinfect or discard protective garments and gloves immediately after use; (h) Provide appropriate means for disposing of body fluids, blood, tissues, and wastes or for retaining them for final disposition with the body. 

All places where human remains are handled must be equipped with impervious containers, and tightly fitting closures.  Body fluids, blood, tissues, and wastes removed from human remains must be kept with the body or disposed of in accordance with local ordinances and other applicable laws and rules for infectious waste.  A sewage system approved by the local health officer or the department may be used for the disposal of blood and other body fluids.  All containers and liners used to receive solid or fluid materials removed from human remains must be cleaned immediately after use, interred with the body, or disposed in accordance with local ordinances and other applicable laws and rules for infectious waste. 

  
Procedure for Final Disposition 
Upon completion of dissection of a Gift Body, the remains of each Gift Body will be collected separately and be properly shipped to and cremated individually by a licensed crematory.  Prior to transporting human remains by common carrier, the persons responsible for preparing and handling the remains must: (a) Enclose the human remains in a leak-resistant container placed inside another leak-resistant, securely constructed shipping container to prevent the release of all body fluids; (b) Obtain and enclose the burial-transit permit in a sturdy envelope; and (c) Attach the burial-transit permit to the shipping container.     

All of the individual’s remains along with appropriate required documents, including the burial-transit permit and cremation authorization (which is part of the donor form), that identify a single Gift Body will be supplied to the crematory.  All containers and liners used to receive solid or fluid materials removed from human remains must be cleaned immediately after use, interred with the body, or disposed in accordance with local ordinances and other applicable laws and rules for infectious waste.  Persons responsible for transfer or transport of human remains must clean and disinfect equipment and the vehicle if soiled with body fluids or any other portion of human remains.  The crematory will return the individual cremated remains to PNWU in a suitable container; the actual name and other identifying information of the Gift Body will be affixed to the container. 

When PNWU receives the cremated remains of a Gift Body, the Chairperson shall notify the individual listed on the Gift-of-Body form for receiving cremains that the remains are available. Confirmation of notification of the availability of the cremated remains will require that the aforementioned entity agree in writing to accept the cremated remains.  If such confirmation is returned to the Chairperson, the cremated remains of the Gift Body will be sent by US Mail with return receipt requested or by commercial carrier (e.g., UPS or FedEx) with written record of receipt of the cremated remains.  The return receipt will be included in the Gift Body file for each donor.

If the entity listed on the Gift-of-Body form does not reply to the letter requesting authority to send the remains, or if the family or immediate next-of-kin does not want the cremated remains returned, PNWU will retain the cremated remains and bury or inter them in a suitable location, e.g. in a cemetery or a building dedicated exclusively for religious purposes. See also RCW 68.50.130. 

If the donor or immediate next-of-kin do not want the remains cremated and returned, PNWU may retain some or all of the Gift Body’s remains (e.g., skeleton) for future use.  At the conclusion of the use of the retained Gift Body parts, the remains will be cremated and the cremains will be interred in a suitable location, and a record to include location of the ashes will be maintained on an official PNWU Drive with back-up procedures. Washington Administrative Code 246-500 Handling of Human Remains: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-500 

Related Documents: 
PNWU Gift Acceptance Policy 
PNWU Gift of Body Donor 
PNWU Gift of Body Next of Kin 

Policy Resources

For assistance with policies and procedures contact:

Lori Fulton
lfulton@pnwu.edu