[§327-23] Facilitation of an anatomical gift from a decedent whose body is under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner. (a) Upon request of a procurement organization, a medical examiner or coroner shall release to the procurement organization the name, contact information, and available medical and social history of a decedent whose body is under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner. If the decedent's body or body part is medically suitable for transplantation, therapy, research, or education, the medical examiner or coroner shall release post-mortem examination results to the procurement organization. The procurement organization may make a subsequent disclosure of the post-mortem examination results or other information received from the medical examiner or coroner only if relevant to transplantation or therapy.
(b) The medical examiner or coroner may conduct a medicolegal examination by reviewing all medical records, laboratory test results, x-rays, other diagnostic results, and other information that any person possesses about a donor or prospective donor whose body is under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner, which the medical examiner or coroner determines may be relevant to the investigation.
(c) A person that has any information requested by a medical examiner or coroner pursuant to subsection (b) shall provide that information as expeditiously as possible to allow the medical examiner or coroner to conduct the medicolegal investigation within a period compatible with the preservation of body parts for transplantation, therapy, research, or education.
(d) If an anatomical gift has been or might be made of a body part of a decedent whose body is under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner and a post-mortem examination is not required, or the medical examiner or coroner determines that a post-mortem examination is required but that the recovery of the body part that is the subject of an anatomical gift will not interfere with the examination, the medical examiner or coroner and procurement organization shall cooperate in the timely removal of the body part from the decedent for transplantation, therapy, research, or education.
(e) If an anatomical gift of a body part from the decedent under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner has been or might be made, but the medical examiner or coroner initially believes that the recovery of the body part could interfere with the post-mortem investigation into the decedent's cause or manner of death, the medical examiner or coroner shall consult with the procurement organization or physician or technician designated by the procurement organization about the proposed recovery. The procurement organization shall provide the medical examiner or coroner with all information it has which could relate to the cause or manner of the decedent's death. After consultation, the medical examiner or coroner may allow the recovery.
(f) Following the consultation under subsection (e), in the absence of mutually agreed-upon protocols to resolve conflict between the medical examiner or coroner and the procurement organization, if the medical examiner or coroner intends to deny recovery of the body part, the medical examiner or coroner or designee, at the request of the procurement organization, shall make reasonable efforts to attend the removal procedure for the body part before making a final determination not to allow the procurement organization to recover the body part. During the removal procedure, the medical examiner or coroner or designee may allow recovery by the procurement organization to proceed, or, if the medical examiner or coroner or designee reasonably believes that the body part may be involved in determining the decedent's cause or manner of death, deny recovery by the procurement organization.
(g) If the medical examiner or coroner or designee denies recovery under subsection (f), the medical examiner or coroner or designee shall include the reasons in the records of the medical examiner or coroner; and make those reasons available to the procurement organization upon request.
(h) If the medical examiner or coroner or designee allows recovery of a body part, the procurement organization shall cooperate with the medical examiner or coroner in any documentation of injuries and the preservation and collection of evidence prior to and during the recovery of the body part and, upon request, shall cause the physician or technician who removes the body part to provide the medical examiner or coroner with a record describing the condition of the body part, a biopsy, a photograph, and any other information and observations that would assist in the post-mortem examination. [L 2008, c 122, pt of §1]
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