Interpreter Services - Quincy Medical Center

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Why do we have interpreters?

Quincy Medical Center 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 Quincy Medical Center:

Quincy Medical Center'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.

• Mandarin/Cantonese Chinese: (617) 376-4013

• Vietnamese: (617) 376-2067

• Portuguese: (617) 376-3161

• English/Other: (617) 376-2058

Email: qmc.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. Quincy Medical Center 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.

Ken Lau

Manager

Interpreter Services

Kenneth “Ken” Lau is Manager of Interpreter Services for Quincy Medical Center 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) 376-2058 or kenneth.lau@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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Additional Interpreter Services Resources:

Corporate

Carney Hospital

Good Samaritan
Medical Center

Holy Family Hospital

Merrimack Valley Hospital

Morton Hospital

Nashoba Valley
Medical Center

Norwood Hospital

Saint Anne's Hospital

St. Elizabeth's
Medical Center

American Sign
Language