NJHA, N.J. Attorney
General's Office Endorse
Increased Access to
Interpreter Services
For Deaf and Hard of
Hearing
USNewswire.com from
the Web. December 6, 2005
TRENTON, N.J. Dec. 5 -- The
New Jersey Hospital Association and the state Attorney General's Office today
jointly released a resource guide on how hospitals can better utilize various
interpreter services for the deaf and hard of hearing. This document,
combined with a comprehensive education program, will ensure that hospitals are
fully accessible to everyone, including people who can't hear or have difficulty
hearing.
"This guide spells out the resources and tools for a standardized statewide
approach to providing interpreter services for the deaf and hard of hearing,"
stated Valerie Sellers, senior vice president of Healthcare Planning and
Research for NJHA. "Hospitals continue to be responsive to the needs of
the deaf and hard of hearing, but now our industry can all work from the same
page in providing consistent communications with these patients and their
families."
The resource guide, Interpreter Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, calls
for hospitals to reinforce their obligation to provide reasonable accommodations
to assist the deaf and hard of hearing in communicating with hospital staff.
Federal and state law requires hospitals to ensure that the needs of the
individual are identified and efforts are made to meet those needs.
These accommodations may include auxiliary aids and services such as qualified
sign language interpreters, remote video interpreting devices, amplified phones,
television closed captioning and computer assisted listening devices, among
others. There is a critical need for hospitals to recruit added qualified
and certified interpreters to ensure timely availability when needed, especially
after hours and on weekends.
"Adults and children who are deaf or hard of hearing must be able to effectively
communicate with doctors and nurses to explain their illness or injury," said
Attorney General Peter C. Harvey. "I credit New Jersey's hospital
community for recognizing that a disparity has existed and that it can do a
better job of serving the needs of deaf and hard of hearing persons."
NJHA officials have identified model programs within New Jersey and other states
that will assist hospitals in improving their own initiatives. The guide
also contains information on reimbursement, technology and suggestions on
resolving challenges that may arise from offering these services.
"It is estimated that more than 720,000 people in New Jersey are either deaf or
hard of hearing," said Albert L. Gutierrez, president and chief executive
officer of Shore Memorial Hospital and chairman of the NJHA
Interpreter/Translation Service Task Force. "As healthcare professionals
we have an obligation to ensure effective communication with our patients.
Clear communication is a key component in providing appropriate medical care.
This guide is a great resource in helping accommodate the needs of these
patients and their families."
The NJHA task force was comprised of representatives from hospitals, state
programs, the Attorney General's Office and patient advocates and has worked
cooperatively with the state to develop enhanced services.
Along with educating and training hospital staff on how to access and utilize
the various resources, NJHA will continue to work with Medicare and Medicaid,
commercial health plans and managed care programs to seek reimbursement for some
of the more costly technologies involved in serving these populations.
Hospitals may not charge patients for the various services provided.
Based in Princeton, N.J., the association has been providing its 112 members
with advocacy, information, data, research and education since 1918.
Contact: Ron Czajkowski of NJHA, 609-275-4071 or Lee
Moore of the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, 609-292-4791.
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