Anatomical Donation: A Meaningful Gift

At Schnauss North East Florida Funeral Home, we understand that planning final arrangements is deeply personal. Anatomical donation offers families a meaningful way to honor a loved one by contributing to medical education and research. By donating a body, you are helping train doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, supporting advancements in medicine that benefit communities in Northeast Florida and across the U.S.

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This process is fully regulated by federal and Florida laws, and our experienced team handles every detail. From paperwork and transportation to coordinating with medical programs, we ensure the process is respectful, seamless, and in accordance with your loved one’s wishes. Families can trust that all steps are managed with care and professionalism.

After the donation is complete, the remains are typically cremated, and families can choose to receive the cremated remains if desired. Anatomical donation is a generous way to leave a lasting legacy, and our team at Schnauss North East Florida Funeral Home is here to guide you through every step with compassion and support.

We work with The Anatomical Board of Florida

About the anatomical board

The Anatomical Board of the State of Florida is a nonprofit state organization responsible for receiving, preparing (embalming), storing and distributing donations of human cadavers used in medical education and research programs throughout the state. The Board distributes bodies to universities and colleges that have medical, osteopathic, dental, physician assistant, and physical therapy programs, as well as emergency personnel training facilities/courses, and continuing medical education programs. Understanding human anatomy through the use of cadavers is the core to these educational programs. The donation of one’s body for anatomical study is an admirable act of kindness that will contribute significantly to these educational and research programs. As one can see from the student tributes to donors, such noble body donations are greatly appreciated by the students as well as the faculty.

The mission of the Anatomical Board is to manage body donor resources in a dignified, respectful and professional manner, and thereby ensure that every health professional utilizing these resources is well-educated to enhance the health and well-being of all people.

Body Donations

General information regarding body donation

We are most grateful for your willingness to consider the donation of your body.  Body donations make a significant contribution to medical science. They enable health care professionals to gain a better understanding of the normal and diseased states of the human body.

How donations work

The procedure for donating one’s body is quite simple. The donor or their surviving relatives must:

  • Make arrangements with a local funeral home, crematory or mortuary
  • Pay for preliminary embalming
  • Pay for transportation to one of our receiving facilities located in Gainesville, Miami, or Orlando

The Anatomical Board receives no financial support from the state. We regret the necessity of requiring that you pay for these services. Anatomical Board of the State of Florida » College of Medicine » University of Florida

Donation eligibility

There is no age limit on donated bodies, however, the final acceptance is at the discretion of the anatomical board. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have regarding eligibility. However, we cannot accept a body for donation if:

  • An autopsy has been performed
  • Death was caused by a crushing injury
  • The individual had extreme obesity
  • The individual had a highly contagious disease (such as AIDS or hepatitis B or C)

For more information or to speak with a trained member of our team about the anatomical donation process, please call us at (904) 683-9288. We are here to answer your questions and provide guidance every step of the way.

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