Patient and Family Services
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin provide care for people from Wisconsin, other states and even abroad. It’s important for all of our patients to be able to communicate to staff members and to understand what is happening during their hospital visit, whether they are an inpatient, outpatient or Emergency Department patient.
Our goal is to provide the highest level of satisfaction throughout a patient’s care. To help patients understand their medical care, the Social Services department at Froedtert Hospital offers interpretation services for people who do not speak English or have difficulty hearing. All translation services are provided free of charge to our patients.
InterpretersPatients have the right to an interpreter when communication between the patient and staff is essential for patients to benefit from hospital services. Interpreters are available for a wide variety of languages.
To request an interpreter or for more information, please call the Social Services department at 414-805-9272 between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Hospital staff members may also contact us to request an interpreter for a patient.
To accommodate the needs of patients who speak Spanish and who have limited English speaking ability, the Social Services department has an on-site, Spanish speaking interpreter available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
American Sign Language The Social Services department provides American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for patients who have difficulty hearing. To arrange ASL services, please call the Social Services department at 414-805-3055 between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. ASL services usually require more than 24-hour notice for scheduling.
Interpreting PhonesIn addition to on-site interpreters, an on-demand, over-the-phone medical interpretation service (CyraCom) is available on each inpatient unit. Interpreters are trained to convert messages accurately and completely from one language to another. They are also trained in cultural competency to ensure successful communication across cultures. All interpreters are trained in medical terminology, conditions and procedures, which results in the highest quality of communication between patient and caregivers.
Author: Marla Fraunfelder Date: Sept. 28, 2007 |