COVID-19: Providing Language Access in the Next Wave

The world is undergoing a new wave of COVID-19, with new protocols and social restrictions happening each day. Experts are predicting a “surge on top of a surge” as holiday travel occurs and families gather indoors.

What have experts learned about providing language access during a pandemic? As numbers rise and intensive care units fill, what are best practices for providing interpretation and translation to limited English speakers, the Deaf, and Hard of Hearing?

Our recent webinar, Preparing for a Second Wave: Language Access in a Pandemic, addressed these subjects. We hope that all caregivers will watch the webinar to learn new skills in caring for vulnerable populations.

Our panelists included:

• Yilu Ma, MS, MA, CMI, Director, Interpreter Services Department, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
• Michelle Murphy, Executive Services Coordinator, Omni Family Health (California)
• Grace Tidwell, MD (Family Practice), Associate Medical Director, Omni Family Health (California)

Topics addressed included:

• Preparation for a second wave of COVID-19
• A doctor’s perspective on how COVID-19 impacted her ability to communicate with her patients
• Simple ways to add an interpreter to telehealth and virtual platforms

You can access the webinar here.