Willed Body Program

Contact information

• Rebecca Barker, LE, LFD
• Troy Nukes, LE, LFD
• Damian Shin MSc, PhD

Phone: 502-852-5744
Email:  willbody@louisville.edu

1. 1. Verify the current acceptance areas for the University of Louisville Willed Body Program
   1. The University of Louisville Willed Body Program is accepting new enrollees at this time from the following counties:
      1. i. Indiana: Floyd or Clark counties
      2. Kentucky: Anderson, Bullitt, Carroll, Franklin, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Larue, Meade, Mercer, Nelson, Oldham, Owen, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, and Washington counties.
      3. Previously accepted enrollees into the Program outside of the above counties are still enrolled in the Program
      4. If you have questions regarding current enrollment policies or if you want to verify your enrollment, please call 502-852-5744
   2. Please call 502-852-5744 to inquire further regarding how to enroll with the Program and to request enrollment paperwork.
   3. If you live outside of the listed counties above, please call 502-852-5744 to check on the current enrollment status for these areas.
2. Complete all components and pages of the enrollment forms accurately and return them to the Willed Body Program office. Enrollment forms are available by calling 502-852-5744. It is necessary to have these forms both notarized and to be signed by two (2) disinterested witnesses. We recommend that you keep a copy for your personal files and additional copies for next-of-kin or other interested parties. Please be aware that this paperwork is not a binding or legal agreement - it is only a statement of wish or intent.
3. It is very important that you keep us informed of any change in name, address, or your next of kin so that we may keep your file current. If you are admitted into a hospital, move to a retirement community or nursing home, or specialized care facility, a copy of your forms and instructions should be included in your chart or care plans.
4. When the forms have been received and approved by the Willed Body Program, we will mail a letter of acceptance with a donor wallet card. Our acceptance of the enrollment forms does not guarantee acceptance of a body at time of death. It is highly recommended that an alternative plan be developed by the donor and family in the event we are unable to accept the body at the time of death (please see FAQs) reasons that we may not be able to accept a body at time of death).
5. Discuss your wishes with your loved ones to ensure that your desire to be a whole- body donor is carried out at the time of your death.

What is the procedure for donating a body for anatomical study?
Anyone eighteen years of age or older who is of sound mind may donate their body for study by completing the UofL forms and returning the originals to the Willed Body Program. There are reasons we cannot accept a body at time of death which are listed under the first question under the section Procedures at time of death. Additionally, the Willed Body Program reserves the right to reject the gift for any reason.

Are any costs involved in the donation of one's body?
Death occurs within Anderson, Bullitt, Carroll, Franklin, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Larue, Meade, Mercer, Nelson, Oldham, Owen, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, and Washington counties, KY or Floyd and Clark counties in IN:
Currently, there is typically no or minimal (<$200) expense to the family within the above counties. The University of Louisville covers the following services at no expense to the donor or family: transportation of the body from site of death if within Jefferson County, KY or Floyd or Clark counties, IN, embalming procedures at UofL and care of the body, cremation, and interment at UofL burial site or return of ashes (pick-up at UofL only). If death occurs in Anderson, Bullitt, Carroll, Franklin, Hardin, Henry, Larue, Meade, Mercer, Nelson, Oldham, Owen, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, and Washington counties, there may be a mileage charge for transportation from the site of death to the Jefferson County line.
We are unable to accept any new registered donors into the Program from outside the above listed counties at this time.
The Willed Body Program will not cover any fees arranged by an external funeral home or transportation service. Arrangements must be made directly with the Willed Body Program at time of death.
If the next-of-kin wish the ashes to be returned by mail, there will be a $100.00 fee for this service.
Fees may change over time. We recommend contacting the Program in the future to determine if policy changes have occurred.

If I donate my body to the program, will I need the services of a funeral home for any reason?
All services from the death notification call, transportation, embalming, and cremation is arranged or performed by the staff of the Willed Body Program.

Will it be possible to have a funeral for the deceased?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to hold a viewing or conduct a funeral for the donor with the body present due to the time constraints and preparation of the body at the Willed Body Program. Every spring, the University of Louisville holds a Convocation of Thanks organized by the students to honor the donors and their families which is open to all family members of our donors. Invitations are sent to the primary next-of-kin listed on the donor’s registration paperwork.

Why do you need to know my social security number and other information on the vital statistics page?
The information located on the vital statistics page is used to complete the death certificate at the time of death. If any of that information is missing, incorrect, or out-of-date, it will result in delays or wrong information on the death certificate. It is the donor’s responsibility to keep us informed of any change in name, address or next-of-kin so that we can keep your file current.

 Who can sign as a witness on the paperwork?
A witness must be dis-interested, which means (1) over 18 years old and (2) someone other than the spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandchild, grandparent or guardian of the donor.

Who should I put as a next-of-kin (informant) on the paperwork?
We recommend that you choose someone that will not likely precede you in death and that will remain someone who will maintain concern over the final disposition of your body.

Does the paperwork need to be notarized?
The paperwork must be notarized. 

How do I know I have been accepted into the Willed Body Program?
After we have received your completed paperwork, we will send you an acceptance letter and a wallet card for you to carry. If there are any concerns with your paperwork, we will return to you with written instructions. Acceptance into the Program is a statement of wish or intent, it does not guarantee your body will be entered into the Program at time of death (please see the first question under Procedures at time of death). The wallet card as well does not guarantee your wishes to be carried out at the time of death; if your next-of-kin or care facility/hospital does not know of your wishes to be an anatomical donor, those wishes may not be carried out at the time of death. We suggest you give copies of your paperwork to next-of-kin and/or care facility/hospital. If the Program does not have an accepted copy of the paperwork on file at time of death, we may not be able to accept the body. The Program can not share paperwork with anyone unless the donor expressly directs us to do so.

 What happens if I move to another state or country?
You should contact a medical school in that state or country to arrange for donation in the local area. We are unable to accept the body if death occurs outside of the acceptance area.  

What if I change my mind? May I withdraw my decision to donate?
Yes, by notifying the program in a writing. The letter should be notarized and signed by two dis-interested witnesses.

Does the Willed Body Program ever refuse to accept a body?
Body donors MUST be pre-registered with our Program prior to death. Next-of-kin should be made aware that if the donor’s death is under the following circumstances that we will be unable to accept the body at time of death:

     a) any contagious/infectious disease (such as COVID-19, HIV, Hepatitis, TB, Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease, flesh-eating disease) or any hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infection (such as MRSA,
Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii)
     b) capacity limitations of the Program
     c) obesity, extreme emaciation, or body contractures
     d) prolonged or unconfirmed length of time between time of death and notification of death to Program
     e) severe trauma or open wounds (including recent surgeries)
     f) ascites, edema, or septicemia (sepsis)
     g) after-death removal of organs, tissues, or body parts (including organ/tissue donation or
autopsy)

We suggest that the donor and next-of-kin develop alternative plans in the event we are unable to accept the body at the time of death. All other requests (not pre-registered) for donation are
considered on a case-by-case basis, and the Willed Body Program reserves the right to reject a gift for any reason.

Will you accept a body from which other donations have been given?
We cannot accept bodies from which organs or tissues have been removed for organ or tissue donation after death. If you wish to donate your organs and tissues at time of death, please reach out to the organizations in your state in order to do so.

 What happens to the body after the Willed Body Program at the University of Louisville receives it?
The body is prepared either for short-term study of 1-6 months or for long-term study of approximately 12 – 24 months. Students who are preparing to enter the health professions will study bodies in a gross anatomy laboratory. UofL also has another facility that allows for residents and physicians to practice surgical procedures, develop new techniques and devices and perform research. UofL also works with other approved institutions in the community to provide health care education and innovation.

May the donor request a program in which he/she wishes to be studied?
We are unable to accept a donor for a specific project. Our policy is to utilize the donors as needed.

Will the body be studied at the University of Louisville?
The majority of our donors are utilized for studies at the University of Louisville. Occasionally we receive a request from health professionals outside UofL. If the request is approved by committee, we supply a donor with the following assurances that: 1) the body will be kept in an appropriate and secured area; 2) the study is to be completed within a reasonable time frame; 3) that a human body is a mandatory requirement of the study; and 4) following completion of the study, the body must be returned to UofL for cremation and disposition of ashes.

Who files for social security death benefits?
A family member, power of attorney or executor is responsible for handling the filing for social security death benefits.

Who files for a death certificate?  How long does it take to receive a death certificate?
Troy Nukes or Rebecca Barker, as licensed funeral directors, will begin the process of filing a death certificate by filling out our portion of the death certificate. The death certificate is then sent to the doctor listed on the provisional death report in order for them to complete their portion. We then verify that all the information is correct and send it to the office of vital statistics of the appropriate state. The process typically takes approximately two weeks for a finalized death certificate; delays can occur if there is missing or incorrect information or delays with the doctor completing their portion of the death certificate. The primary next-of-kin (informant) will be sent paperwork at the time of death explaining how to order certified copies of the death certificate.

Why do the studies occur for as long as 24 months?
Before a donor's remains can be utilized to educate health care practitioners, the donor's remains need to be anatomically prepared. The anatomical preparation process currently recommended requires arterial preservation. After arterial preservation, the donor's body is isolated for a period of time to better eliminate the possibility of transmitting harmful microorganisms to students, staff, or researchers.

After isolation, the donor's body is used for study in semester or yearlong courses.  The course assigned depends on the time of year.

How is the body handled after studies are completed?
Following anatomical study, the body must be cremated. The ashes (cremains) can be interred at the university burial site or ashes can be returned to the next-of-kin after death; the donor indicates their wishes for their ashes by completing the ashes disposition form as part of the application and mailing it back to our office.

If our paperwork is signed to return ashes to the next-of-kin, we will send a letter to the primary next-of-kin when the ashes are ready to be picked up. The next-of-kin listed on the paperwork will need to arrange a time with the Willed Body Program office to pick up the cremains. If we are unable to contact next-of-kin or we do not hear back from next-of-kin within one year, the ashes will be interred at the university burial grounds as their final resting place.

If the ashes are to be interred at the UofL burial site, there will be no contact with the next-of-kin when the ashes are ready. The interment sites at the university burial site are not individually marked; there is one single granite stone acknowledging the gifts of those who have donated for medical education and research. Burial at the UofL site shall be final.

Will it be possible for my family to receive a report of medical findings or given details of the study the body was involved in?
We do not provide any reports concerning pathologic findings, cause of death or details of the specific studies that are conducted.

I travel a great deal, what if I should die outside the immediate area?
We recommend that the body be offered to the nearest medical school.

What can family members leave at the UofL burial/memorial site?
Family members are invited to leave flowers, wreaths and other temporary items at the memorial site. Permanent markers (such as plaques or benches) are not permitted. The site is maintained on a regular basis and items will be removed.

Each spring, those that have benefited from the gifts of our anatomical donors hold a ceremony to honor the donors. Medical, dental and audiology students along with residents, fellows and staff physicians speak, read selections of poetry or letters and perform musical acts. The primary next-of-kin listed on the donation forms will receive an invitation (at the address listed on our paperwork) to the event in the late winter/early spring of the year following the death of their loved one (Ex: if your loved one died in 2013, you will receive an invitation in late winter 2014). The event is open to the public.

For information, please call 502-852-5744.

The University of Louisville maintains a burial site at River Valley Cemetery for those donors who wish to have their cremains interred by the university. For directions to our burial site, please call 502-852-5744.

1.  If the death occurs at home or outside of a healthcare facility, please call 9-1-1. A healthcare professional (examples: hospice care staff or coroner) will need to sign a provisional report of death before the body can be transported to the university. If death occurs within a healthcare facility, please proceed to step 2.
2. To report a death during business hours (M-F, 8 am – 5 pm), please call (502)-852-5744. To report a death after hours (after 5 pm on weekdays, weekends, and University holidays), please call (502)-303-1471.
3. At time of death, the individual making the death notification call will be required to provide information to the Program to determine eligibility to donate. Registration with the Program does not guarantee acceptance into the Program at time of death. Please see the FAQs for more information on why the Program may not be able to accept a donation at the time of death. We strongly encourage you to develop alternative plans in the event we are unable to accept the donation at time of death.
4. The Willed Body Program, along with the medical certifier, will file the death-related paperwork. The Program will send further information at the time of death to the next-of-kin listed on our enrollment paperwork regarding the death certificate and social security. Additionally, transportation charges may be sent to the next-of-kin (please see FAQs).
5. The next-of-kin listed on our enrollment paperwork will receive an invitation to our annual Convocation of Thanks ceremony in late winter/early spring. This ceremony is held in the spring of each year to honor those individuals who bequeathed their bodies during the previous calendar year.

1. The Willed Body Program, along with the medical certifier, will file the death-related paperwork.  The program will send further information at the time of death to the next-of-kin listed on our enrollment paperwork regarding the death certificate and social security. Additionally, transportation charges may be sent to the next-of-kin (please see FAQs).
2. The next-of-kin listed on our enrollment paperwork will receive an invitation to our annual Convocation of Thanks ceremony in late winter/early spring. This ceremony is held in the spring of each year to honor those individuals who bequeathed their bodies during the previous calendar year (for instance, the ceremony in the spring of 2019 was held for those donors whose bodies arrived at UofL during 2018).