Articulating Our Commitment
Interpreter Services Connects Families and Medical Professionals
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| Liliana Ballesteros (center) serves as an interpreter during a consultation between a nurse and a family from Honduras. |
Since the interpreter services program began at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in 2001, it's been a sprint to keep pace with Greater Cincinnati's changing demographics. Hispanics currently are the fastest-growing segment of the population, comprising 3 percent of Tristate residents.
Providing resources for patient families who do not speak English is critical to delivering the highest quality of care. Staff at Cincinnati Children's, including the Hispanic Advisory Committee, knew this and built a comprehensive program. Services include full-time medical interpreters, a translator, a bilingual customer service representative and a dedicated phone line for Spanish-speaking families.
"Communication is the foundation for health care. If you can't guarantee your communication is accurate and safe, then you can't guarantee patients will receive appropriate care," says Patty Wells, RN, MSN, director of family relations and the Family Resource Center.
The interpreter services program at Cincinnati Children's has grown quickly and successfully due to the outstanding quality of the staff. Never fully knowing what each day will bring, interpreters must be skilled at handling every kind of medical encounter, from routine to complex, with grace and stamina.
A Mother's Lifeline
In 2005 Migdalia Bonilla traveled to Cincinnati Children's from Puerto Rico with her 9-year-old son for his bone marrow transplant. They arrived without extended family, with few resources and under what she describes as "desperate circumstances." Alone in an unknown city, Migdalia says their interpreter provided "a lifeline." "I will always remember the first week. The interpreter was always with us, helping me with all my questions about my son's condition and how the hospital works. We would have been lost without her."
Raising the Bar
Interpreters create a connection between medical providers and families, but their reach extends beyond simple translation. "Interpreters offer more than interpretation and translation; they also provide cultural assistance," Patty says. "When you develop an in-house interpreter program like we have, one of the results is cultural competency. People have become more aware about aspects of other cultures that may affect health care."
Liliana Ballesteros, the first medical interpreter hired at Cincinnati Children's and now coordinator of the program, says that cultural competence works in both directions.
"Another role of interpreters is being cultural brokers. If there is a religious issue or a cultural matter that may affect the understanding of the message, it is our job to communicate that to the medical provider or family. For example, just because someone nods, it does not necessarily mean he or she understands English." For someone who speaks Spanish, nodding is a sign of respect, not necessarily understanding.
In addition to Spanish, Cincinnati Children's coordinates medical interpreters for a variety of languages – from Arabic to Vietnamese. In fiscal year 2005 translations were provided in 48 languages at a cost of more than $594,000.
| Number of Interpreter Appointments |
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| From fiscal year 2005 to fiscal year 2006 the number of interpreter appointments at Cincinnati Children's increased significantly. Total appointments also includes other languages and sign language. |
