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Medical Examiners and Coroners

Medical examiners and Coroners play an important role in saving and enhancing lives within their communities. Their cooperation and support is vital for ensuring successful organ and tissue donations.

Gift of Life Donor Program works closely with Medical Examiners and Coroners throughout the region to ensure successful outcomes for all organ and tissue donor cases while supporting the forensic needs of an investigation. That collaboration in order to honor the wishes of an individual and their family to donate represents the national best practice according to the National Association of Medical Examiners.

When a Medical Examiner or Coroner takes jurisdiction of a case, Gift of Life Donor Program will contact their office to obtain approval for the donation and to ensure that all medical and forensic requirements are met. Gift of Life also provides any requested support to the investigation including available medical records, test results and even arranging for the presence of a forensic pathologist at the recovery procedure. Effective collaboration ensures that there is never a reason for a Medical Examiner or Coroner to turn down a donation opportunity. In fact, the National Association of Medical Examiners has stated that “zero denials” should be the goal of every jurisdiction.

Medical Examiners and Coroners also serve a critical role in honoring the wishes of individuals who die outside of a hospital to be tissue donors. In these situations Gift of Life Donor Program may not be notified of the case, but a referral from a Medical Examiner or Coroner can ensure every family possible is offered the donation option.

To contact Gift of Life Donor Program, call 1-800-KIDNEY-1 (1-800-543-6391) or fill our the contact form below.

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