Interpreter Services

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Why do we have Interpreters?

Holy Family 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 Holy Family Hospital:

Holy Family 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.

• Spanish: (978) 687-0151, ext. 2275

• Portuguese: (978) 687-0151, ext. 2364

• English/Other: (978) 687-0151, ext. 2364

Email: hfh.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. Holy Family 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 Holy Family Hospital

Address: 70 East Street, Methuen MA 01844 (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 Route 93 

Take Route 93 to Exit 48 (Rte. 213 East).
Follow Rte. 213 to Exit 3.
Turn left at first traffic light and right at the next one (onto Jackson Street).
Follow Jackson Street to first traffic light, turn right onto East Street.
Follow East Street to top of hill.
Holy Family Hospital is located on right.

From Route 495

Take Route 495 to Exit 46.
Bear right and follow Route 110 for approximately one mile to the Methuen Fire station.
Turn right onto East Street.
Follow East Street diagonally through a 5-cornered intersection, watching for the blue hospital signs.
Proceed through the traffic light and continue up the hill.
Holy Family Hospital is located on right.

Parking Information

Free on-campus parking is available for patients and visitors. Please follow the "VISTOR PARKING" signs from the hospital campus entrance.

Via Public Transportation

Bus: Merrimack Valley Regional Transportation Authority bus line 36 (Lawrence) stops directly on the campus of Holy Family Hospital.

To confirm mass transit schedules, please contact the MVRTA at (978) 469-6878, or at www.mvrta.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, report to Patient Registration located in the main lobby across from the information desk.

Sonia Falcos

Manager

Interpreter Services

Sonia Falcos has the ideal work commute as she lives in Methuen just minutes from Holy Family Hospital. Born in São Paulo, Sonia worked as a lawyer in Brazil before coming to the United States.  She speaks four languages: Portuguese; Spanish; English; basic Greek (her husband’s native tongue). Sonia can be reached at
(978) 687-0156, ext. 2364 or sonia.falcos@steward.org.

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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.

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Holy Family Hospital’s new Emergency Department is a $21 million facility with 32 private rooms and state of the art imaging technology.

Equipped for trauma, stroke, and cardiac care, Holy Family’s staff of board-certified emergency physicians and nurses certified in trauma care provide the highest quality care with compassion and respect right in your neighborhood. This web page includes directions to Holy Family Hospital.

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Additional Interpreter Services Resources:

Corporate

Carney Hospital

Good Samaritan
Medical Center

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