With the beginning of 2016, Holy Cross Hospital has expanded its medical interpreter services to include specially trained and qualified, medical interpreters available on site for all programs and departments in the hospital, including the emergency department. Says program director, Mireya Vera, “This important part of caring for our community members assures in-person language assistance services are easy to access. Patients just need to approach our front desk and they will receive a card with instructions on how to ask for a medical interpreter.” Medical interpreters play a fundamental role in making sure patients get the best care possible by removing language barriers and thus helping doctors and other health care personnel get an accurate understanding of patients’ symptoms and why they are seeking medical attention. Amar Singh, MD, chairperson for Holy Cross Hospital Emergency services, is especially appreciative of the Holy Cross Hospital medical interpreter team’s capabilities. Says Singh, “The interpreters are amazing! When patients and family members come to us for emergency care, it is critical that we are all able to understand each other. With the Holy Cross Hospital medical interpreters I often forget that the interaction I have with the patient or family is going through a third person for interpretation because the quality of our communication is so good. It is as though we speak the same language.”

Photo:
Standing left to right: Kristian Cerda and Veronica Nunez, Holy Cross Hospital medical interpreters
Seated: Program Director, Mireya Vera