Newswise — MAYWOOD, IL – As part of Loyola Medicine's commitment to making health care accessible to all, Loyola has added American Sign Language (ASL) to the translation services available for individuals making telehealth appointments. Loyola already provides medical interpretation in 250 languages for virtual visits. "We are excited to offer ASL translation services to our deaf and hard-of-hearing patients making telehealth appointments," said Richard Freeman, MD, MBA, FACS, regional chief clinical officer at Loyola Medicine. "The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased the demand for telemedicine and underscored the importance of making it available to as many people as possible."
Loyola Medicine employs a total of 18 qualified medical interpreters who speak Spanish, Polish, and ASL, supplemented by 24-hour interpreting service by phone and video. In fiscal year 2021, Loyola Medicine cared for patients from around the world who speak 58 languages. "Our medical interpreters are essential members of the healthcare team," said Guadalupe Garcia, regional manager of interpreter services at Loyola Medicine. "They know that they're making a difference in patients' lives by making sure they understand their diagnosis and instructions on how to take their medication and take care of themselves."
The service is easy to use and available through Loyola's myChart self-scheduling tool. During the scheduling process, when a patient indicates that English is not their primary language, the system automatically asks, "would you like schedule an interpreter free of charge?" Patients with limited English proficiency can also call interpretive services at 708-216-2300 to reach a phone interpreter who can help them schedule a virtual visit.
"When patients come into the hospital or clinic, we have translators and bilingual staff available, and now we can offer the same services to people at home," said Neil Gupta, MD, vice president of ambulatory services.
For more information on telehealth at Loyola Medicine visit our website.
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About Loyola Medicine
Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago's western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from more than 1,500 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. Loyola is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the William G. and Mary A. Ryan Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, a Level 1 trauma center, Illinois's largest burn center, a certified comprehensive stroke center and a children’s hospital. Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. Established in 1961, Gottlieb is a 247-licensed-bed community hospital in Melrose Park with the Judd A. Weinberg Emergency Department, the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care and the Loyola Cancer Care & Research Facility at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center. MacNeal is a 374-licensed-bed teaching hospital in Berwyn with advanced medical, surgical and psychiatric services, acute rehabilitation, an inpatient skilled nursing facility and a 68-bed behavioral health program and community clinics.
For more information, visit loyolamedicine.org. You can also follow Loyola Medicine on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, Catholic health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 115,000 colleagues and nearly 26,000 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 25 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 88 hospitals, 131 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 125 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. Based in Livonia, Michigan, its annual operating revenue is $20.2 billion with $1.2 billion returned to its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.
For more information, visit www.trinity-health.org or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
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