Office of Decedent Affairs

The Office of Decedent Affairs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is here to answer your questions and provide information about the release of your loved one, death certificates, the medical examiner or autopsy. We will also help you make decisions that best fit your needs during this difficult time.

We ensure paperwork is completed correctly and that your loved one is released to the funeral home or crematory you’ve chosen.

Once you and your family have selected a funeral home or crematory, let us know. We will then release your loved one to the location you have selected.

The funeral home or crematory will help you make decisions for final arrangements, including memorial service, cremation and burial options.

The death certificate is the official legal record of death. Insurance companies, the Social Security Administration, financial institutions and others may require a copy of the death certificate as proof of death. You will need certified copies of the certificate to get certain benefits and to settle your loved one’s affairs.

If you live in Tennessee, you can get copies of a death certificate in person, by mail or online through the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. The charge for each copy is $15.00. For more information, call (615) 741-1763.

If your loved one had an autopsy, the results are released in two reports. The first report is based on the physical exam and is usually ready within a few days. The second report is based on lab testing, so this may take several weeks. 

The closest relative or a legal representative may get a copy of the autopsy report at Vanderbilt Medical Records. Call (615) 322-2062. You may also ask the doctor who cared for your loved one to contact you when the autopsy report comes in. It is a good idea to go over the report with the doctor after you get it.

If your loved one’s death is determined by law to need investigation by the medical examiner, you may contact them between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, for more information. An investigator and a medical examiner are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to accept reports of death and to release the body to the funeral director.

For more information, contact:

Office of the Medical Examiner
850 R.S. Gass Boulevard
Nashville TN 37216-2640
Phone: (615) 743-1800
Fax: (615) 743-1890