§16-19-20 Effect of anatomical gift on advance health-care directive. - West Virginia Statutes

§16-19-20. Effect of anatomical gift on advance health-care directive.
(a) In this section:

(1) "Advance health-care directive" means a medical power of attorney or a record signed or authorized by a prospective donor containing the prospective donor's direction concerning a health-care decision for the prospective donor.

(2) "Declaration" means a record signed by a prospective donor specifying the circumstances under which a life support system may be withheld or withdrawn from the prospective donor.

(3) "Health-care decision" means any decision regarding the health care of the prospective donor.

(b) If a prospective donor has a declaration or advance health care directive, the terms of which are in conflict with the express or implied terms of a potential anatomical gift with regard to administration of measures necessary to ensure the medical suitability of a part for transplantation or therapy, the attending physician and the prospective donor shall confer to resolve the conflict.

(1) If the prospective donor is incapable of resolving the conflict, an agent acting under the prospective donor's declaration or directive, or, if none or the agent is not reasonably available, another person authorized by law other than this article to make health-care decisions on behalf of the prospective donor, shall act for the donor to resolve the conflict as quickly as possible.

(2) A procurement organization and any person authorized to make an anatomical gift on behalf of a prospective donor pursuant to section nine of this article shall provide any information relevant to the resolution of the conflict.

(3) Pending resolution of the conflict, measures necessary to ensure the medical suitability of a part may not be withheld or withdrawn from the prospective donor unless doing so is contraindicated by appropriate end-of-life care.