How do people make arrangements to donate their bodies to Cleveland Clinic?
Enrollment in the program is open to anyone 18 or older. Simply contact the Cleveland Clinic Division of Education at 216.444.5678. Legal forms will be sent, which need to be completed and distributed as indicated. Upon return of one copy to the Body Donation Program, a donor card will be provided, which should be carried at all times.Cleveland Clinic strongly recommends discussing intentions with family members, so they can be prepared for the arrangements at the time of death.
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Can a person donate usable organs for transplantation purposes?
Yes. The donation of useable organs, skin, and eyes will not prevent the donation of a pre-registered body to Cleveland Clinic. For those who have not pre-registered in the program, Cleveland Clinic reserves the right to determine whether or not to accept the donation.
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Is it necessary to notify an attorney to donate one's body to medical science?
No. This type of gift does not have to be written into a will, although it is permissible to do so.
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Is donation possible after an autopsy?
Yes. Autopsies are an important part of medicine and do not prevent the donation of a pre-registered body to Cleveland Clinic.
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If people suffer from have a serious disease at the time of their death or if any of their organs have been removed, can they donate their bodies for medical science?
Yes. If people have pre-registered in Cleveland Clinic's program only the most unusual circumstances would prevent the donation from being accepted. These circumstances would include morbid obesity, the presence of an infectious disease and death caused by severe trauma. If people have not pre-registered in Cleveland Clinic's program, Cleveland Clinic reserves the right to determine whether or not to accept the donation.
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How is a body used?
Cleveland Clinic makes donated bodies available for medical education, the advancement of medical science, and research for the development of medical products and techniques.
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Can a person donate someone else's body, e.g., a wife or husband? This cannot be done while the donor is living. However, after the individual expires the nearest living next-of-kin can donate the body.
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Who may serve as a witness to a donation?
Anyone eighteen years of age or older may act as a witness except for persons affiliated with Cleveland Clinic and relatives.
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Will there be any expenses to a family or estate for donating a body to Cleveland Clinic?
No. Cleveland Clinic will assume all costs for transportation of a donated body, within a 75-mile radius, to Cleveland Clinic, and all costs related to the preparation, storage and cremation of the body. Cleveland Clinic will also cover the cost of sending the ashes to the next-of-kin or to a location selected by the next-of-kin for final interment. However, the cost of final interment is the responsibility of the surviving next-of-kin.
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What happens if a person who wants to donate his or her body dies away from Cleveland?
If death occurs outside a 75-mile radius from Cleveland Clinic, at 9500 Euclid Avenue, there are two options. First, Cleveland Clinic will assist the donor's family in making arrangements to have the remains donated to the closest medical school. Second, if the donor's family still wants the remains to be donated to Cleveland Clinic, the estate of the deceased or the donor's family will be responsible for all transportation costs.
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What type of funeral service is permitted?
The family may hold a memorial service in the absence of the deceased.
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What happens to a body after the medical studies are complete?
Upon completion of medical studies, which may be several weeks to one year from the time Cleveland Clinic received the donated body, the remains are individually cremated and one of three options are followed. First, the ashes can be sent to the family for final interment. Second, the ashes can be returned to a location selected by the family for final interment. (Cleveland Clinic will pay for shipping the ashes, but the cost of final interment is the responsibility of the surviving next-of-kin.) Third Cleveland Clinic's Division of Education can bury the ashes at the Cleveland Clinic's plot.
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If a donor moves from the Cleveland area, what happens to the donation?
Cleveland Clinic does not accept body donations from individuals outside the state of Ohio. To withdraw a donation, notify the Body Donation Program at Cleveland Clinic. If a person wishes, Cleveland Clinic is happy to assist in contacting a medical school in the new area of residence.
For more information about the Body Donation Program at Cleveland Clinic, please call 216.444.5678.
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