Find answers about body donation, including eligibility, registration, and how donations support medical education and research.
Bodies are used for various medical education purposes, the advancement of medical science and research for the development of medical products and techniques. All bodies are used exclusively in Cleveland Clinic programs.
No, we do not handle organ donation. To find out more about organ donation, contact your local organ procurement organization. LifeBanc serves Northeast Ohio and can be reached at 216.752.5433.
No, we do not conduct disease-specific studies nor can we accept a body that is designated for such studies.
No, we do not provide verbal or written reports following studies.
Anyone can pre-register with the program, but if the death occurs in another state, we cannot accept the body.
We cannot accept a body when there is severe trauma; the presence of an infectious disease such as sepsis, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Clostridium difficile (C. diff); COVID-19 within the past 30 days; presence of gangrene, colostomy, gastrostomy or jaundice; overdose or history of IV drug use; when there is extreme obesity (BMI above 35); or height above 6'1". These conditions of acceptance apply whether or not you are pre-registered with our program.
Some examples include advanced decomposition, serious injury and septic shock.
These situations are determined on a case-by-case basis, whether or not you are pre-registered with our program.
If an autopsy will be performed, no matter what the reason, we cannot accept the body, regardless of whether or not you are pre-registered with the program.
If you are pre-registered with this program, the donation of most organs is allowable. The only exclusions are long bones and skin, which must be intact. If you have not pre-registered with this program, we cannot accept the body.
When reporting a death at home, either (1) the donor must be under hospice care; or (2) a licensed medical professional with access to the donor's medical records must be immediately available for us to speak with.
Someone who is authorized to contact us, such as a nurse, medical social worker, and doctor should do so. We will obtain the required information and make sure the body is acceptable for donation. If the family contacts us, we will advise them how to proceed. The death needs to be reported to us within two to three hours after death occurs.
The authorized representative (see above) should call 216.444.2200 and tell the operator that they’re calling to report a death for the Body Donation Program. The operator will connect them to the appropriate person. Someone from the program is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The death needs to be reported to us two to three hours after death occurs.
It is possible for the next of kin to donate a body. At the time of death, contact us following the protocol noted above and we will determine if we can accept the body.
What are the options for final disposition of remains?
When the ashes are ready for final disposition, typically sometime between several weeks and 18 months, we notify the donor’s representative and ask them to contact us regarding their wishes. The cremated remains can either be:
Each choice for final disposition should be considered a permanent decision.
If you will be receiving your loved one’s remains, you have two options to choose from:
A plastic cremation container that measures 8.5”L x 6”W x 4.5”D.
The record is included in the container.
Each choice for final disposition should be considered a permanent decision. If you choose to receive the remains, you cannot later choose to have them interred at Lake View Cemetery for liability reasons.
No, we provide this option free of charge.
Each choice for final disposition should be considered a permanent decision. To have remains removed from Lake View Cemetery requires both a court order and a significant cost to the family.
Simply let us know and we will make the arrangements. Within a few weeks the burial record is accessible on the cemetery’s website and includes an option for visitors to share additional information, memories and photos.
Yes. We can transfer a small amount into a keepsake urn (limit of two) before they are taken to the cemetery, but you must request it when you contact us regarding your wishes.
In the Community Mausoleum. A memorial stone at the mausoleum’s entrance collectively acknowledges our donors. Individual donor names are not inscribed on the memorial stone.
Yes. When we acquired the niche in 2006, our intention was to offer donors a distinguished final resting place, somewhere that family and friends could visit and pay tribute to them.
Please visit their website at lakeviewcemetery.com.
If death occurs within 100 miles of Cleveland Clinic’s main campus (9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44195) we will make the transportation arrangements and cover the associated costs. The body will be transported as soon as possible, usually within a few hours. Contributing factors include the time of day, distance and weather conditions. If death occurs outside the 100-mile range, transportation arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the donor/donor family. You may wish to contact a local funeral home in advance to discuss transportation options.
Cleveland Clinic assumes all costs except when death occurs outside the 100-mile range, as mentioned above. The family assumes the cost of the death certificate, generally about $25.
Only if death occurs outside the 100-mile range.
An informational packet will be mailed to the donor family. They may also contact us with questions.
A traditional funeral is not possible but many families do have a memorial service, without the body present.
No, family and friends must say their final farewells before the body is transported to Cleveland Clinic.
We process the death certificate and then send it to the certifying physician or coroner. Upon completion, it is filed with and obtainable from the health department in the city (or county) where death occurred. The family assumes the cost of the death certificate, generally about $25.
To place an obituary, contact the newspaper directly. They will need to verify certain details before the ad is placed. They can contact us and we will confirm the information for them.
Yes. Some suggested language: name donated his/her body to the Cleveland Clinic Body Donation Program for the advancement of medical science.
We appreciatively accept monetary donations in memory of our donors. The donations are deposited into an account that supports the annual memorial service. Please make checks payable to “Cleveland Clinic Education Institute” and include the donor’s name on the subject line. The mailing address is:
Cleveland Clinic Body Donation Program
9500 Euclid Ave. / JJS20
Cleveland, OH 44195
Yes. We invite you to share their story on our website. The stories are a way of paying tribute, and they also help potential donors and families understand the motivation for these priceless gifts.
The service usually takes place in the spring, and invitations are mailed about a month in advance.