Interpreter Services

Why Do We Have Interpreters?

Good Samaritan Medical Center is committed to providing linguistically and culturally appropriate services to our patients and families, so we have an experienced team of trained medical interpreters on staff. In the medical setting, it is essential that patients actively participate in their healthcare. The need to understand information, diagnoses, and directions accurately is crucial before making medical decisions that affect one's own treatment or that of a loved one.

While many of our patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) and their families use English in other settings, it may not be the language they prefer to use for medical care. In addition, feelings of anxiousness or fear about a diagnosis or illness can affect communication. This often happens in emergency situations when a person may be too nervous to communicate clearly in anything other than his/her primary language.

Interpreter services bridges gaps in language and culture that may exist between a patient and the medical provider while maintaining strict patient confidentiality.

Interpreters are Available 24 Hours Per Day

Português

Por favor clique na gravura do alto falante para ouvir uma mensagem de serviço público do Departamento de Saúde Pública de Massachusetts.

Español

Por favor haga clic sobre el símbolo de la bocina para escuchar un mensaje de audio del servicio público de Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Traditional Chinese

請點擊揚聲器按鈕以收聽由麻州公眾健康局提供的語音資。

Tiếng Việt

Xin hãy bấm vào nút hình cái loa đe nghe thông tin từ Bộ Y Tế CôNG CộNG của Tiểu Bang MA.

عربي

لطفاً – أُنقر على أيقونة السّماعة لسماع رسالة الخدمات الحكومية من إدارة ماساشيوستس للصّحة العامة

Kreyòl Ayisyen

Tanpri peze klikè ya pou-w kapab tande mesaj Depatman Sante Piblik Massachusetts lan.

русский

Нажмите, пожалуйста, кнопку "Динамик" и прослушайте сообщение Управления здравоохранения штата Массачусеттс.

Interpreter services are provided at no cost to patients, family members, and companions involved in patient care. You do not have to bring your own interpreter. If you would like to have a medical interpreter at your upcoming appointment, you will need to request this service from our patient registration staff. Tell your provider's office when scheduling the appointment, or simply let your healthcare team know at any time.

How to Reach an Interpreter

Good Samaritan Medical Center's team of healthcare providers and support staff work closely with interpreter services to ensure that our medical interpreters are prepared to support your care. If you need to reschedule your appointment or have questions related to ongoing care, contact Interpreter Services or your provider's direct number to discuss. Contact information for our department is listed below.

English/Other languages: 508.427.3023, then press the following number.

• 1 - Cape Verdean Creole
• 2 - Portuguese
• 3 - Spanish
• 4 - Haitian Creole
• 5 - French
• 6 - all other languages

Please Note

In emergency or short-notice situations, when an in-person interpreter is not immediately available for a specific language, we may utilize telephonic and/or video remote interpretation. Good Samaritan Medical Center has invested in the latest communications technology in order to ensure that our patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) always receive the same  standard of care compared to non-LEP patients. Our services include customized wireless conference phones and dual-handset phones stationed at key hospital departments with access to both staff and outside Interpreters in 200 languages and dialects. We offer Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) supported with an iPad on a Pole when assisting when assisting deaf patients through American Sign Language to supplement in-person ASL Interpreters requested from the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH). We also support video remote interpretation for a number of our most frequently requested languages.