Tarrant County ends unclaimed bodies program partnership with UNT Health Science Center

FORT WORTH, Texas – Tarrant County has terminated its partnership with a UNT Health Science Center program that collected unclaimed bodies for medical research.

The program abruptly shut down over concerns about how it was handled.

The fallout reached Tarrant County commissioners on Tuesday.

An arrangement with the county had sent unclaimed remains to the school’s Willed Body Program which amounted to savings for the county in the cost of burying or cremating the remains.

UT Arlington student Serena Karim addressed the commission as a researcher who studies body donor programs and the ethical concerns.

“You can save money,” she told commissioners. “But if you’re violating the ethical rights and consent of your citizens, I think that’s definitely something you need to reconsider.”

Just days ago, UNT Health Science Center shut down its program and acknowledged shortcomings without mentioning specifics amid an outside investigation.

A notice on its website explained, “The program has fallen short of the standards of respect, care, and professionalism that we demand. The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth extends its deepest apologies to the families who have been impacted.”

It also referenced it had “taken personnel actions, including terminating program leadership.”

Karim says research has revealed that donated bodies and body parts are often traded or sold between research schools.

“In some cases, they can distribute them to other medical schools or other research purposes,” she said. “And the heartbreaking thing for these families is sometimes they find out their family member died through the schools.”

After a closed-door discussion, the county commission voted to officially end the county’s arrangement with UNT Health Science Center’s body donor program.

“I’m hopeful that something changes, something good comes out of this,” Karim said.

It is unclear if the county would consider contracting with another research school or begin its own handling of unidentified remains.