
We are grateful for the generosity in your consideration and welcome your questions about body donation. If you don’t find the information you are looking for on our website, please feel free to contact our program office by phone or email at the contacts provided on this page.
What is Whole Body Donation?
The Whole Body Donation Program at Wake Forest University School of Medicine supports learning for both students and healthcare professionals who receive training with hands-on experience for the best possible understanding of human systems and structures. In addition to intensive anatomy training for first year medical students, we teach surgeons, physical therapists, nurse anesthetists, physician assistants, orthopedic surgeons, emergency and first response providers, regional law enforcement, and military personnel/medics to provide better understanding for more effective and life-saving care.
Whole body donors enable training that prepares future and current providers to deliver better outcomes and innovate new methods of care to support better health and healthcare in our state and local communities:
- Advancing existing therapeutic procedures
- Developing new procedures and improved medical equipment
- Innovating treatments that extend and improve quality of life
- Providing first-year medical students with essential, hands-on learning in human anatomy to support lifelong excellence in patient care
Thank you sincerely for reviewing this material and considering the possibility of whole body donation. If you have questions that are not answered in the FAQ’s below, please feel free to contact our program office for more information at 336-716-4369.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Whole Body Donation at Wake Forest University School of Medicine does not require pre-registration. When donor families contact our program after death occurs, we will do a brief assessment by telephone and provide a one-page form for the next of kin or assigned representative to sign. Program staff is available around the clock to receive your calls and make this assessment with an immediate decision. Contact us at the time of death at 336-716-4369.
The best way to prepare your legal next of kin and/or primary care providers to follow your wishes at the time of death is to provide them with materials that explain the procedures for donation. A copy of the checklist and consent form will guide your representative(s) and healthcare provider(s) through the required steps for donation at the occurrence of death.
To request printed materials for this purpose, please contact the program office by phone at 336-716-4369 or by email at bodydonation@wakehealth.edu.
The state of North Carolina has clear statutory guidelines regarding who will hold authority for the disposition of remains at the time of death. The best way to determine who will make those decisions for you is to designate Health Care Power of Attorney and record that choice in your medical record(s). Lacking that designation, it is helpful to ensure that your healthcare provider(s) have a copy of our program material available. Our printed program brochure also includes a paper card for your wallet that provides clear instruction to first responders and healthcare personnel to contact for donation at the occurrence of death.
To request a copy of our printed materials, including a wallet card, please contact program staff at 336-716-4369 or by email at bodydonation@wakehealth.edu.
At the time of death, the family is responsible for transportation costs to deliver the body to Wake Forest University School of Medicine. At the conclusion of the study, there is no cost to the family for cremation or for the return of the cremains.
A listing of licensed transport services utilized by the medical examiners in Forsyth County may be accessed for information regarding transport from a different county, please utilize the drop-down menu.
We are available at 336-716-4369 from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday to address any questions and concerns about participation in our program. For contact surrounding a death that occurs outside operating hours, you can reach a member of our staff through the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Services operator at 336-716-2011. We are available for those assessments 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
Thank you for your consideration and for your willingness to impact health care in a positive and powerful way. If you would like to receive printed materials with a wallet card that indicates your choice to donate your body, please contact us and provide your mailing address. We will be happy to answer any additional questions at that time.
If you have additional questions, please call 336-716-4369