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Houston Matters

Translators and Interpreters are Critical in Providing Adequate Healthcare

There are folks in the healthcare industry in Houston we often don’t think about. They’re not doctors or nurses or hospital staff or insurers, but they provide a valuable service — they translate or interpret for patients who don’t speak the same language, or are hearing impaired. Let’s face it, communication between medical staff and […]

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There are folks in the healthcare industry in Houston we often don’t think about. They’re not doctors or nurses or hospital staff or insurers, but they provide a valuable service — they translate or interpret for patients who don’t speak the same language, or are hearing impaired.

Let’s face it, communication between medical staff and patients is absolutely critical. The International Language Services Conference, held Friday in Houston, will address language access for patients and caregivers.

We learn more about the conference, and those services, from Melissa Kam who manages hospital operations at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, and certified American sign language interpreter Whitney Gissell.

Michael Hagerty

Michael Hagerty

Senior Producer, Houston Matters

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Michael Hagerty is the senior producer for Houston Matters. He's spent more than 20 years in public radio and television and dabbled in minor league baseball, spending four seasons as the public address announcer for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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