Weekdays (Monday through Friday – 8-3pm)
A telephone call to this office (215-922-4440) must be made by family, medical personnel or if there is no family, the responsible person appointed.
We will obtain all medical information regarding the donor to determine acceptability (see brochure). Once we have spoken with the nearest next of kin and they are in agreement with the proceedings, we will work with your family for arrangements for transportation to a medical school by the licensed funeral director. Your family may choose their own funeral home or we can suggest one if possible. As your family is paying the costs over $100.00, it is very strongly suggested that you contact more than one establishment for a price quote before you need this service. Prices vary greatly.
Death After Office Hours Hospital Deaths
Medical personnel should be alerted to the fact that you are a donor with a copy of your donor form on your chart. They need to call our office and inform our answering service there has been a death. They will need to leave the name and telephone number of your next of kin as well as the person in that hospital for us to call back the next business day. Your body shall be placed in the morgue and we will call the next business day to obtain information BEFORE any arrangements are made for the donation. We must speak with your family or responsible person first. If your family does not hear from our staff by 10am the next business day, they need to call us immediately.
Residence, Retirement Community or Nursing Home Deaths
The next of kin must be notified first prior to transportation to a medical school. Next, the attending physician must be called to confirm death and acknowledge that he/she will sign a death certificate to be available for the funeral home within the next 24-36 hours. The next call is to the funeral home your family has chosen.* He/She must call our office and inform our answering service that they have been chosen by the family to transport remains as soon as possible and need information as to the medical schools with after hours access. We ask that they please be cooperative if the operator has questions, this is done at our direction so we have all information we need the next business day.
*If you want the Registry to make arrangements with a funeral home instead: Our answering service needs to be told a death has occurred in a residence or facility where there is no refrigerated morgue and needs to be transported immediately and to please contact the funeral home on call in that county area for arrangements. That funeral home will call the home or facility to make arrangements. Again, please note that we cannot refer a funeral director in some counties and your family would need to make arrangements locally.
Download these instructions as a printable PDF document.
Download Donor Instructions (form included).
The freely available Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view and print PDF files.
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Instructions for PC | Mac
Humanity Gifts Registry
(215) 922-4440
M-F 8-3pm
P.O. Box 835 Philadelphia, Pa 19105-0835
