Clinton Hospital provides free, medical interpretation services to patients
with limited English proficiency, who are non-English speaking, or who are deaf
or hard of hearing. Interpretation services by qualified, professional and
trained medical interpreters are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Interpretation services can be requested in advance when making appointments or
registering at the hospital.
Certified American Sign Language medical interpreters are also available from
the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on an on-call
basis. For routine appointments, the commission requires a minimum of one week
advanced notice.
Medical interpreters provide:
- Access to equal treatment and care
- Understanding of informed consent, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and
discharge instructions
- Improved patient compliance
- Better understanding between the patient and provider
- Another avenue to file patient complaints
- Patient and provider education
- Language/culture patient mediation
For more information on Clinton Hospital's Interpreter Services Department,
call 978-368-3716.