The arrest last month of the director of UCLA's Willed Body Program has generated attention from the news media and public agencies to all such programs in the nation, including the UC Davis School of Medicine's Donated Body Program.
In the wake of that arrest and media attention, UC President Robert Dynes on March 18 asked former Gov. George Deukmejian to chair a task force that will examine UC's willed body programs.
The task force will review operations at UC's willed body programs at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC San Diego and UC San Francisco and hold public informational hearings this summer.
Dynes said he selected Deukmejian, who served as governor from 1983-1991, to lead the task force because of his extensive administrative experience with California's state government, legal system and the Board of Regents.
"The families of those who gift their bodies to benefit science deserve to know that every safeguard has been put in place to make sure that their remains are treated with dignity and respect," Dynes said.
"This task force will ensure this is the case across the UC system."
The task force is expected to deliver a report to Dynes before the end of the year.
The UC Davis Donated Body Program came under scrutiny last summer when contractor David Beale was arrested for the alleged theft of body parts in the early 1990s.
The campus program operates in the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy and receives approximately 125 donations annually from individuals throughout the region who choose to give their remains to further biomedical research and education. Over 4,000 living individuals are registered as donors.
"Cadavers are an essential part of medical education," said Kent Erickson, professor and chair of the department. Medical students gain "valuable experience and information about body structures that they can't get by looking at a textbook or computerized graphics," he said.
Cadavers also are used to help scientists better understand disease and to help specialty physicians and residents who practice new surgical techniques to save lives. Many regional colleges and universities also rely on the UC Davis program to fulfill the needs of their curriculum.
"Learning from a human cadaver is a very powerful and moving experience for students," Erickson said. "While they learn anatomy and physiology, students often learn much more about themselves and their responses to death, as well as the importance of respecting their patients and their patients' families."
The Class of 2002, grateful for the experience of working with human cadavers, raised funds to establish a small memorial site on medical school grounds where an annual memorial service is held to honor body donors. In the years since its establishment, each medical school class has planted a tree during the service.
A senior faculty member and licensed mortician oversee program details, which include tracking the receipt, testing, distribution and proof of cremation of donated bodies after they are used. Individuals who will their bodies to the program carry a donor card. A mortuary service is under contract with the medical school to deliver donated bodies to the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy for embalming and storage.
In July 2003, UC Davis Audit and Management Advisory Services began an audit of the donated body program as part of audits that were planned for fiscal year 2004.
In late March, UC's university auditor requested all campuses with willed body programs to perform audits to assess the adequacy of procedures, controls and records.
As part of this work, UC Davis auditors are performing a physical inventory of cadavers and cadaver parts; reconciling physical inventory information to program records to assure accountability of cadavers and cadaver parts; reviewing the allocation of cadavers to other UC Davis departments, educational institutions and private companies; and evaluating management oversight of the program.
The results of the audit will be provided to Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw and Dean of the School of Medicine Joseph Silva as well as the university auditor and the chair of cell biology and human anatomy.
David Ong contributed to this story.