Medical Examiners

Medical Examiner Jurisdiction
& Permission for Donation

Donation is possible in cases where a person’s death falls under the jurisdiction of an Arizona Office of the Medical Examiner (OME). In fact, it’s relatively common.

Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) works closely with medical examiners and their staff throughout the state to maintain our commitment to the recovery of all transplantable organs and tissues while ensuring thorough death investigations can still occur.

DNA seeks medical examiner permission for donation in any case that falls under the jurisdiction of a medical examiner prior to the recovery of any organs and tissue. At this time, the medical examiner may provide instructions to DNA staff to ensure the medicolegal investigation can still occur. The medical examiner’s first priority is to determine the cause and manner of death, and we follow well-documented procedures to ensure both their work and donation can occur.

Providing Donation
Options for Families

Many medical examiner offices within Arizona work to ensure that donation is an option for the families of individuals who pass away outside of Arizona hospitals. Through our medical examiner referral program, medical examiner investigators refer potential donors to DNA for evaluation of the potential for tissue donation. 

After the initial referral, DNA checks the DonateLifeAZ Registry to see if the person is a registered donor. If that individual made the decision during their lifetime, our team will contact the family to gain additional information for donation. 

If the individual was not registered, the family is invited to discuss donation on their loved one’s behalf. Following the determination of medical suitability and authorization for donation by the individual or their family and the medical examiner, donation recovery can take place at the medical examiner’s office or another surgical location. 

Arizona medical examiners and their staff can call Ryan Nelson at 800-447-9477 if there are questions about the medical examiner partnership.