Emergency Responders and Law Enforcement
Your Role in Donation
You already save and protect lives with your work every single day. Emergency responders and law enforcement also can play a critical role in tissue and eye donation, thereby helping even more people.
As an emergency responder, you can have a major impact by notifying Gift of Life Michigan at (800) 482-4881 every time a death occurs outside of a hospital. This action will ensure that all Michiganders are given the opportunity to leave a legacy of generosity through tissue and eye donation.
Notification Process
Gift of Life Michigan already has this process in place in some counties, but if you are not in one of those areas, we will work closely with your agency or department to develop procedures to ensure that all non-hospital deaths are called in to Gift of Life Michigan within a timeframe that preserves the opportunity for donation. Please contact a member of our staff to see how you can help or for more information.
To learn more about the process, visit our Organ and Tissue Donation Process page.
What You Can Expect
We ask that you notify Gift of Life Michigan at (800) 482-4881 within an hour of all non-hospital deaths, whether in the field, in hospice or elsewhere, regardless of the person’s age. Here are some of the common things you will be asked when you make a donor referral:
- Your name, agency, location and call-back number
- Demographics of the deceased, if known, such as age, sex, race
- Known medical history, medical interventions, time of death or last known time alive
- Next of kin information for the individual, if known
- Partner agency information, such as medical examiner and/or funeral home
Important: Do NOT bring up donation with the family. It is best to make the donor referral in a spot away from the family. Gift of Life Michigan will contact the family if our assessment determines that donation is medically possible.
Privacy Law Exemption for Organ and Tissue Donation
You are allowed to share patient information with Gift of Life Michigan. Healthcare providers are protected by HIPAA Section 164.512 to “disclose protected health information to organ procurement organizations … for the purpose of facilitating organ, tissue, or eye donation and transplantation.”
Other Resources
- Basic Notification Information for EMS Staff
- Death Notification Trigger Badge Cards (Front, Back)
- HIPAA Exemption for Purpose of Donation
Questions or Comments?
Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns, please contact liaison Stephanie Sommer at [email protected]. You can also call (800) 482-4881 for 24-hour assistance.