Previously, three Stanford hospitals shared one autopsy room and a “distantly located morgue,” according to a Jan. 9 news release from the health system. The new 4,400 square-foot space brings two updated autopsy rooms, a new morgue and the Office of Decedent Affairs — which helps families navigate grief and the tasks that follow a death — in close proximity.
The space is designed with families’ ease and comfort in mind. The morgue and autopsy rooms are adjoined, streamlining the process by which a patient’s body is released to funeral homes or other services. A “peaceful” bereavement area equipped with beverages and restrooms allows families to spend time with their recently lost loved ones outside of the hospital setting.
This consolidation of bereavement and postmortem services is unusual among academic medical centers, according to Rev. Charles Tigard, manager of the Office of Decedent Affairs. But the move reflects the system’s commitment to patients, even after death, he said.
“When a patient passes away at Stanford Health Care, they are still our patient,” the Reverend said. “They are still under our care. But our focus shifts to supporting their family and staff navigating the administrative duties that accompany a death.”
The new space will also allow for more postmortem learning opportunities. Stanford aims to launch a research autopsy fellowship program and has equipped the autopsy rooms with new technology, including 80-inch wall screens to display images or real-time dictation notes.
“The resources available in this new space will greatly expand the type of research we can support,” said Jody Hooper, MD, associate professor of pathology at Stanford. “We are in a whole different universe of possibility.”
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