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BWH Interpreter Services employees and hospital leadership gathered last week to recognize and celebrate the important contributions of BWH medical interpreters.
"Medical interpreters play a vital role in our patient care team," said Jackie Somerville, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer and senior vice president of Patient Care Services. "Not only do they provide skilled interpreter services to our non-English speaking patients, but they are also able to guide us in delivering culturally-sensitive care."
Leo Buckley, executive director of business services for BWH Patient Care Services, congratulated all the interpreters and thanked them for their outstanding service. "We are thankful for your dedication and contributions to patient care; you deserve to be honored and recognized," he said.
The celebration was part of International Translation Day, which honors translators and language workers throughout the world. During the event, senior interpreters spoke about what it means to be an interpreter.
"Imagine how nervous you get when going for a medical procedure," said Spanish interpreter Martha Solis. "Imagine not knowing the language or understanding what's going to happen. It can be scary. As medical interpreters, we help take that fear away."
Director of Interpreter Services Yilu Ma spoke about the department's mission. "Our services focus on five pillars: professionalism, competency, respect, timely response and customer service," he said. "I'm very proud of my team because every day we deliver on this mission and try to make patient care that much better."