Hospitals Bridging Language Barriers

By: Arthur Mondale/Eyewitness News 9 | WNCT-On Your Side
Published: January 25, 2008

Each year, more and more people are migrating from different countries to the east.
But just how smoothly is that going, when many of these new residents do not speak English?
According to Tamara Hower Williams of University Health Systems 17 to 20-percent of residents in Duplin County are of a non-speaking English population. She says this definitely affects the medical system.
“We see everyone in the community and we are required by law as a matter of fact to not discriminate in the provision of services due to a number of factors--most of them you're familiar with through Title 6 of the Civil rights Act and that includes national origin,” said Tamara Hower Williams, Director of University Health Systems Diversity & Language Services
She’s worked for more than two decades in public health. But within the last few years she's seen a change, especially when it comes to helping more patients who don't speak English, navigate through a complicated medical system.
“In our system it's much more segmented than it is in other countries so I think for people to learn that we have different facilities for all these different needs is one of the things we like to teach people about,” Williams said.
From translated brochures to magazines, the hospital is working to suit every patient.
This is the telephone interpretation with dual handset. They can use it 24-hours a day to request a language.
“The medical system has followed principally the provision of language services and finding new ways to reach out to a community that does need its services,” said Williams.
Patients can speak up to 150 different languages receiving help at any one of the University Health Systems locations.
“Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, some languages found in Africa.,” said Williams.
And at no cost to the taxpayer.

Although Hower Williams can't give an exact number when it comes to patients who use interpretation services, she reports last year they spent 5- hundred hours alone on telephone interpretation calls.