When there is an inpatient death occurs, the Nursing Service is responsible for the following:

• Notify the Clinical Ops Administrator (COA’s) of death;
• Notify Southwest Transplant Alliance (SWTA)
  • Contact number for SWTA 1-800-201-0527
  • Provide patient demographics and history
• Review and complete all appropriate sections of the FORM 5012
  • Section 1 – Medical Examiner case
  • Section 2 – TDCJ Inmate
  • Section 3A – Person authorized to consent to postmortem examination (autopsy)
  • Section 3B – Authorization for postmortem examination (autopsy)
  • Section 3C – Disposition of the body
  • Section 4 – Disposition of organs, fluids, prosthetic devices and tissue after postmortem examination (autopsy)
  • Section 5A – Physician Checklist
  • Section 5B – Complete Nursing Checklist
• If autopsy is requested or legally required do the following:
  • Leave all lines and tubes in place. You may clamp and disconnect from machinery but DO NOT pull any lines or tubes out of the decedent’s body
  • Verify decedent’s ID is on body
  • Contact COA to review and initial FORM 5012
  • Send the FORM 5012 current and old medical records with the body to Autopsy Service morgue
  • Notify Transportation Dept. to transfer body to Autopsy Service morgue
• If no autopsy is legally required or requested do the following:
  • Remove all lines and tubes
  • If applicable, prepare body for family viewing
  • Release personal belongings to family
  • Contact COA’s to review and initial FORM 5012
  • Notify the funeral home
  • Provide funeral home representative with certifying physician name and telephone number
  • Complete section 6 – Release of body when funeral home representative arrives
  • Notify COA to pick-up medical record and FORM 5012 after body has been picked up by the funeral home
  • The COA documents death in the Mortuary Records Log book
• COA’s Responsibility
  • Review FORM 5012 and initial when complete. Ensure that medical records and FORM 5012 are taken to the morgue and name of deceased is entered in the Mortuary Records Log Book.
  • After hours and on weekends, open morgue for Transportation Dept.