Getting started
The first step is to complete the front and back of the donor form below. Completed forms should be sent to:
Anatomical Gift Program
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Box G-B204
Providence, RI 02912
Upon completion of the form, your name will be placed in our files so that at the time of death, all arrangements will have been made. When you sign the forms, in the presence of two witnesses, they become written instruments which satisfy all requirements of the law governing such gifts. We recommend that the bequest not be included in your Will, as wills are usually not opened and executed until after a funeral and burial procedures have been completed.
You may wish to give a copy of the signed forms to a friend or loved one as a way of assuring that transport of your gift to Brown be done efficiently. You will also receive a donor card to be carried in your wallet at all times. Should you become ill and need hospitalization or nursing home care, let your doctor/nurse know what your wishes are.
Once a donation is made to the program, it may take up to 3 years for anatomical studies to be completed. The body is then cremated, and the cremains are returned to the next of kin, or to the person designated on the donor form.
When the time comes
When death occurs, your next of kin, executor or physician needs to contact Monahan, Drabble & Sherman Funeral Home at (401) 421-9887. If death occurs outside of the State of Rhode Island or at a distance greater than a 45-mile radius from Providence, Brown will not be able to accept the donation unless transportation of the unembalmed body can be quickly arranged. The cost of transportation outside of the 45-mile radius must be absorbed by the estate of the donor. Should Brown be unable to accept the body, we suggest contacting the nearest medical school to inquire about its need for donations. Further, if you know in advance that you will be living part-time in another state you should contact the Anatomical Gift Program in that state to arrange for donation.