Interpreter Services

Tiếng Việt Kreyòl Ayisyen Español Português  عربي русский 

Why do we have interpreters?

Carney Hospital is committed to providing linguistically and culturally appropriate services to our patients and families. We have an experienced team of trained medical interpreters on staff. Click on the following link to meet our interpreter team. In the medical setting, it is essential that patients actively participate in a dialogue with their health care providers. The need to understand information, diagnoses, and directions accurately is crucial before making medical decisions that affect one's own treatment or that of a loved one. While many of our Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients and their families use English in other settings, it may not be the language they prefer to utilize for medical care. In addition, feelings of anxiousness or fear about a diagnosis or illness can affect communication. This often happens in emergency situations when a person may be too nervous to communicate clearly in anything other than his/her primary language. Interpreter Services bridges linguistic and cultural gaps that may exist between a patient and the medical provider while maintaining strict patient confidentiality.  

Interpreters are available 24 hours per day.

Please click this link to visit the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website. 

Interpreter services are provided at no cost to patients, family members and companions involved in patient care. You do not have to bring your own interpreter. If you prefer to have a family member or friend interpret on your behalf, we will respect your preference. Be aware that minors are legally prohibited from interpreting for both patients and family members. You may change your mind and request a trained medical interpreter at any time. If you would like to have a medical interpreter throughout your upcoming appointment, you will need to request this service from our patient registration staff, notify your provider's office when scheduling the appointment, or simply let your health care team know at any time.    

How to reach an interpreter at Carney Hospital:

Carney Hospital's team of health care providers and support staff work closely with Interpreter Services to ensure that our medical interpreters are prepared to support your care. In the event that you need to reschedule your appointment or have questions related to ongoing care, contact Interpreter Services or your provider's direct number to discuss your situation. Contact information for our department is listed below.

• Vietnamese: (617) 506-4712; (617) 506-4812; (617) 506-4813

• Haitian Creole: (617) 506-4815

• Spanish: (617) 506-4817

• Portuguese: (617) 506-4817

• Cape Verdean Creole: (617) 506-4817

• Mandarin/Cantonese Chinese: (617) 506-4804

• English/Other: (617) 506-4804

Email: cah.interpreter@steward.org

In emergency or short-notice situations, when an in-person interpreter is not immediately available for a specific language, we may utilize telephonic and/or video remote interpretation. Carney Hospital has invested in the latest communications technology in order to ensure that our LEP patients always receive an equivalent standard of care compared to non-LEP patients. Our services include customized wireless conference phones and dual-handset phones stationed at key hospital departments with access to both staff and outside interpreters in 200 languages and dialects. We offer video remote interpreting supported with a computer and webcam when assisting deaf patients through American Sign Language (ASL) to supplement in-person ASL interpreters requested from the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH). We also support video remote interpretation for a number of our most frequently requested languages.

Directions to Carney Hospital

Address: 2100 Dorchester Avenue Dorchester MA 02124 (click here for map)

If you will be receiving sedation during your procedure, you must be accompanied by a responsible adult, whether driving to the hospital, or using public transportation.

From the North/South

Take Route 93 to exit 11B ("Route 203-Granite Avenue-Ashmont") onto Granite Avenue and proceed to Gallivan Boulevard (2nd traffic light).
Turn left onto Gallivan Boulevard.
At 2nd traffic light, turn left onto Dorchester Avenue.
Continue on Dorchester Avenue for 0.25 miles.
Carney Hospital is located on the left.  

From the East/West

Take the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) through Downtown Boston to Route 93 South.
Take exit 11-B ("Route 203-Granite Avenue-Ashmont") onto Granite Avenue and proceed to Gallivan Boulevard (2nd traffic light).
Turn left onto Gallivan Boulevard.
At 2nd traffic light, turn left onto Dorchester Avenue.
Continue on Dorchester Avenue for 0.25 miles.
Carney Hospital is located on the left.

From the Southwest

Take Route 24 North to Route 93 North; take exit 11B ("Route 203-Granite Avenue-Ashmont") onto Granite Avenue and proceed to Gallivan Boulevard (2nd traffic light).
Turn left onto Gallivan Boulevard.
At 2nd traffic light, turn left onto Dorchester Avenue.
Continue on Dorchester Avenue for 0.25 miles.
Carney Hospital is located on the left.

Parking Information

On-site parking is available at Carney Hospital. Day patients can self park for free in our front parking lot immediately adjacent to the main entrance as space is available. Our parking garage located in the rear of our facility is also available to patients and visitors for a nominal charge.

Via Public Transportation

Trolley: Take the Red Line to Ashmont Station. Exit left onto Dorchester Avenue. Walk four blocks south and Carney Hospital is on the left.

Bus: MBTA bus lines 12, 24, 24/27, 27, 191, 217 & 240 stop directly in front of Carney Hospital on Dorchester Avenue.

MBTA bus line 215 stops at the intersection of Dorchester Avenue and Gallivan Boulevard one block north of Carney Hospital.

To confirm mass transit schedules, please contact the MBTA at (617) 722-3200, or at www.mbta.com.

When you arrive at the hospital

Enter via the main entrance.  If you have pre-registered, go directly to your scheduled appointment.  If you have not pre registered, check in at Patient Registration located directly off the main lobby.  

Ken Lau

Manager

Interpreter Services

Kenneth “Ken” Lau is Manager of Interpreter Services for Carney Hospital and the former Chinese Medical Interpreter at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Born in Hong Kong, Ken worked in real estate before moving to the United States. Ken likes to joke about his language skills: “I can talk to Jackie Chan in Cantonese and Jet Li in Mandarin!” Ken can be reached at
(617) 506-4804 or kenneth.lau@steward.org.

_________________________

Lindsey Medeiros

American Sign Language

State-Certified Interpreter

Lindsey Medeiros has been a Commonwealth of Massachusetts state-certified American Sign Language Interpreter since completing Northeastern University's ASL Interpreter Program back in 2009. Lindsey has been on staff at Morton Hospital since 2011 and now provides ASL, Signed English, Closed Vision, and Tactile support for Steward providers and deaf/hard of hearing patients throughout southwestern Massachusetts and Greater Boston.

_________________________

Additional Interpreter Services Resources:

Corporate

Good Samaritan
Medical Center

Holy Family Hospital

Merrimack Valley Hospital

Morton Hospital

Nashoba Valley
Medical Center

Norwood Hospital

Quincy Medical Center

Saint Anne's Hospital

St. Elizabeth's
Medical Center 

American Sign
Language