OPELIKA, Ala.— When receiving treatment at East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC), patients can find comfort in knowing that language barriers won’t stand in the way of receiving high-quality, compassionate health care.
To meet the growing needs of the community, EAMC a has dedicated on-call team of Spanish interpreters and other interpretive services which allows access to an interpreter 24/7. When staff identifies the need for interpretive services, they are empowered with the tools to alert and activate an interpreter.
“Effective communication between healthcare providers and the patient is critical in providing high- quality, compassionate care; doing so, breaks down barriers and opens the opportunity to build trust, understanding, and confidence during the health care encounter.” said Sutricia Johnson, East Alabama Health’s director of Case Management and Health Equity. “Having this service is one way that East Alabama Health promotes equitable care to our community.”
Alicia Storbeck, a Spanish interpreter at EAMC, says that having on-site interpreters reduces misunderstandings, improves patient satisfaction and ensures safer, more effective care. An example she provides is the necessity for clear information during crisis situations, and how interpreters can help ensure providers receive the information they need.
“As we work with patients in their native language, we are able to establish a level of confidence and trust with them that would not otherwise by possible,” Storbeck said. “This allows them to share more freely information about their condition, which in turn allows providers to give them a better level of care.
“We are constantly told by patients how much they appreciate that EAMC provides these services, and that they were scared about what would happen once they arrived at the hospital and were unable to understand what was being said to them.”
In addition to on-site Spanish interpreters, EAMC partners with the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, as well as EasterSeals, to provider in-person American Sign Language interpreters for patients. Staff at all East Alabama Health locations also have access to the Propio language line, which provides Over the Phone and Video Remote Interpretation for over 350 languages, including American Sign Language.
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About East Alabama Health
East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier in Valley, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinics and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 314-bed regional referral hospital, while EAMC-Lanier provides emergency and outpatient services, as well as a nursing home and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,800 people and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University. For more information, visit www.eastalabamahealth.org.