Language Services

The purpose of the Language Service Office is to facilitate the delivery of comprehensive and quality services to non-English speaking patients.  This is accomplished by providing interpreting and translating services to patients with no or limited English proficiency in a timely manner.  The interpreting and translating services provided by Cooper Green Mercy Hospital will bridge the language and cultural gap between the health care provider and the patient by providing cultural understanding, language proficiency and knowledge of medical terminology.  The accurate and complete interpretation of information will enable the provision of health care services to all patients.

The basic purpose of the medical interpreter is to facilitate understanding in communication between people who are speaking different languages.

The key words are facilitate, understanding, communication and speaking.  "Facilitation" implies that the interpreter may have an active, rather than passive, role to play.  "Understanding" inplies that the goal of the interpreter goes beyond simply repeating words to be reasonably sure that the message is understood.

"Communication" is important because the interpreter cannot facilitate understanding on all levels, but rather, must focus on anunderstanding of that was said.

The medical interpreter may take on various roles in order to facilitate communication.  Some of these are:

• Conduit
• Clarifier
• Cultural Broker
• The Advocate