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Tuesday, March 14, 2006

UMC Speaks the Language of the Community to Serve All with Excellence

The hospital’s Interpretive Services Department provides communication in more than 150 languages

University Medical Center (UMC) has served the Southern Nevada community with excellence in care since 1931. The hospital’s mission is to address the health care needs of all residents and visitors. To do that, the hospital has implemented a variety of programs that cater to the specific needs of its patients.

In any large and diverse community, language may pose a barrier for providing the best quality care possible. According to U.S. Census Bureau 2000 data, more than 330,000 individuals in Clark County use a language other than English to communicate at home. In order to respond to this need and to serve the approximately 38 million tourists visiting the Las Vegas Valley from around the world, UMC established its Interpretive Services Department to provide on-site and/or telephone interpretation and written translation services for patients who are not proficient in English.

“It is imperative for our medical and administrative staff to determine the true needs of our patients,” said UMC CEO Lacy Thomas. “In many cases, that means having someone serve as a communicator to ensure that every piece of information is properly interpreted when assessing appropriate medical care.”

The department coordinates communication between patients, their families, doctors, nurses and other UMC staff in more than 150 languages, including Spanish, Chinese Mandarin, Chinese Cantonese, Korean, Hebrew, Vietnamese and Italian. In 2005, more than 250,000 interpretations were conducted.

“UMC currently has five full-time certified interpreters, who not only understand medical terms, but also the many aspects of language expressions, regionalism and jargon that come from the various regions where these languages are spoken,” said Sylvia Vazquez, interpretive services manager. “In Spanish, for example, the idiomatic expressions of a person from Mexico can be significantly different from those of a person from Cuba,” she added.

Certified interpreters undergo a series of rigorous tests administered by the state to obtain Nevada certification. Candidates also have to accumulate at least 40 practice hours and are required to maintain continuous education courses to keep their skills fresh. This process ensures the quality and integrity of the interpretation, which is especially important in the medical and legal fields. Professional interpreters serve as the voice of each party and do not interact in the conversation. They simply repeat the speaker’s exact words in whatever language the listener understands.

Interpreters also have to be sensitive to culture to be able to communicate important information from a patient to his/her doctors. This ensures that the doctor can provide an appropriate assessment based on the information the patient provides, and that patients and their families understand instructions, treatments options and diagnoses from their doctor or health care professional.

By closing the communication gap, UMC provides leadership that ensures safe, high quality, accessible and comprehensive health care to the community and visitors.

If you would like to learn more about UMC Interpretive Services, please visit UMC’s website at www.umcsn.com.

Contact Information:
Cheryl Persinger , Public Relations Manager
(702) 383-2090
Cheryl.Persinger@umcsn.com
University Medical Center
1800 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102