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The University of Connecticut School of Medicine gratefully
accepts the donation of bodies for teaching and medical
research.
Information about body donation through our
Anatomical Donation Program is provided below. For more details
and to obtain the necessary forms, contact the Anatomical
Donation Program at 860-679-2821 or 860-679-2247. The office is
open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. During
non-business hours, you may call the 24-hour answering service
at 860-223-4340.
Procedures
Prospective donors should inform family members of their wish to
donate their body. It is usually not sufficient to include
intentions about body donation in wills, because there is a time
limit for accepting the body after death (within 48 hours) and
wills often are read after the time limit. The Health Center
provides prospective donors with a laminated identification card
for their wallets with information about their wish to donate
their body.
Transporting the Body
When a donor dies, family members should contact the Anatomical
Donation Program immediately after a doctor or nurse has made a
pronouncement of death. The body will be taken to the Health
Center at no cost to the deceased by a licensed funeral director
working with the Anatomical Donation Program. The body is
embalmed, prepared, and stored securely until it is needed for
teaching purposes. It is not sold or loaned to other
universities or research programs.
The Health Center cannot accept bodies from people who die
outside of Connecticut. Donors who relocate should notify the
Anatomical Donation Program. Those who remain interested in
anatomical donation should contact a medical school in their new
state of residence.
Conditions that May Interfere with Donation
Although age is not a factor, some conditions make a body
unsuitable for teaching and educational purposes. These
conditions include obesity or extreme underweight, edema or
swelling, dehydration, an autopsy, or infectious disease.
Representatives of the Anatomical Donation Program can provide
more information about conditions that may interfere with
donation and they will evaluate the body at the time of death to
determine its suitability for teaching and research purposes.
Donations for Transplantation
For those who wish to donate their body for teaching purposes,
only the eyes may be donated for transplantation. Donation of
other tissue or organs makes the body unsuitable for teaching
purposes. Information and forms about donation of eyes for
transplantation are available from the Eye Bank at New Britain
General Hospital at 860-224-5550.
Final Disposition
When study of the body is completed, the remains are cremated at
the Health Center’s expense and the ashes returned to the
family, according to the donor’s instructions. The Anatomical
Donation Program maintains a complete list of those who donated
their body to the Health Center for teaching purposes.
Memorial Services
At the end of each academic year, in honor of the donors, the
Health Center holds a memorial service that is attended by
students, faculty and donors’ family members.
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