Body Donation Program

Our program requires a funeral home provider be involved with anatomical donation. They assist in transportation of the donor to the medical school, prepare necessary documents with the state and, if desired, can arrange traditional services with a viewing prior to donation. Any expenses incurred by the funeral home are the responsibility of the family or donor’s estate.

A funeral home is the responsible party that will transport a donor from place of death to DMU. The university will reimburse the funeral home for transportation in the amount of $75 plus $0.45 per mile round-trip, up to a maximum total of $300. The university reserves the right to change the fee paid to the funeral home at any time and without notification. If the donor is unable to be delivered within eight hours from the time of death, we request that the funeral home proceed with arterial embalming only. The cost of embalming performed by a funeral home is the responsibility of the donor’s family.

The Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act prohibits medical schools from purchasing human remains; therefore, there is no direct cost between the medical school and the donor’s family or estate. However, as required by the program, a funeral home must be involved and reserves the right to charge for their services regarding anatomical donation. The program recommends contacting a funeral home to discuss fees associated with donation.

Our body donation program acknowledges organ, tissue and eye donation to be an honorable and selfless gift to improve and enhance the lives of others. This decision may be displayed as “Donor” printed on a state identification card or driver’s license. To maximize a donor’s wish, our program permits skin or eye donation prior to anatomical donation. If a donor wishes to donate skin or eyes prior to donation, the program will coordinate such desire; however, the program must be aware of the donor’s wishes immediately following the death.

Unfortunately, any internal organs or musculoskeletal tissue removed for transplantation or research will not be permitted and may result in refusal of the anatomical gift. 

When an interested donor registers with the program prior to death, the individual may not qualify based upon factors including obesity, emaciation, history of or an active communicable disease or any medical history that may implicate the anatomical preservation process. When the death of a donor is reported to the program, a donor may not be accepted due to circumstances surrounding the death.

Disqualifying factors may include removal of internal organs or musculoskeletal tissue for transplantation or research, a performed autopsy, decomposition, homicide, drowning, burning, vehicular accident, suicide, trauma, jaundice, edema, obesity, emaciation, body contractures or the presence of an infectious or communicable disease. In all instances, the body donation program reserves the right to determine medical suitability and the need of the gift at the time of death.

All students fully appreciate that they are the principal beneficiaries of the generosity of those who donate their human remains. During medical studies, donated remains are treated with utmost respect and dignity. At the same time, a donor is a vital tool for medical education or research. As such, the donor may be examined by means of anatomical dissection, with extremities, tissues or organs removed for specific examination. No legal findings will be determined, nor will a report be provided upon completion of our studies. On average, donors are in the care of the program for one to two years. 

Our program permits burial or cremation of the human remains. If burial is desired, please contact the body donation program for further instructions, as funeral home involvement is required, and fees are borne on the family or donor’s estate. If cremation is desired, at the time of death, the legal next of kin is mailed an authorization for cremation and final disposition request form that is completed and returned to the program office. This document provides the family with several disposition options for the cremated remains:

• The remains may be picked up or mailed to the next of kin or a representative.
• The remains may be mailed to the family-selected funeral home.
• The remains may be buried at the body donation program mausoleum space at Chapel Hill Gardens in Des Moines, Iowa.
• The remains may be inurned at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, Iowa (applicable cemetery fees may apply). 

The body donation program holds an annual remembrance service to honor and memorialize donors who generously and selflessly donated their human remains to Des Moines University. The service includes words of gratitude from the university and medical students, musical selections from DMU’s chamber ensemble and choir and military funeral honors to recognize those who served in the armed forces.