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Medical Interpretation and Translation Services
Stanford Health Care is committed to providing access to all information in the patient’s preferred language.
For over 50 years, the Medical Interpretation and Translation Services program has provided Stanford Health Care’s diverse patient population with the best language access services. From interpreters who assist patients and providers during appointments to translators who fulfill document translation requests, the highly qualified members of this team provide 24/7 language access services for patients and care teams anywhere at Stanford Health Care.
PATIENT RIGHTS
It is your right to request an interpreter for any inpatient, outpatient, or telephone interaction with Stanford Health Care staff and providers. For assistance, ask anyone speaking with you to access language services.
If you are calling to speak with someone at Stanford Health Care, please call the operator at 650-723-4000 and ask them to connect you with a telephone interpreter. The operator can then connect you and the interpreter to the party you wish to call.
Interpretation
Interpreters convert messages from one signed or spoken language into another signed or spoken language.
IN-PERSON
In-person interpretation is available on demand in select languages at main campus locations and elsewhere/in other languages when prescheduled.
Spanish is available 24/7.
VIDEO
Interpretation via video platforms is available to patients in all inpatient room and outpatient exam rooms.
American Sign Language is
available 24/7.
TELEPHONE
Interpretation via telephone is available to all patients at Stanford Health Care in 200+ spoken languages 24/7.
Other Services
Services provided by the Medical Interpretation and Translation Services program extend beyond signed or spoken languages.
DEAF & HARD OF HEARING
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and families
TRANSLATION
Vital documents translated into threshold languages (languages spoken by more than a certain percentage of our community)
QUALIFIED BILINGUAL SPEAKER PROGRAM
Administration of a program to objectively measure bilingual clinicians' non-English language proficiency
Our Team
The Medical Interpretation and Translation Services program is comprised of over 70 highly trained and tested staff interpreters. In addition to supporting patient care at Stanford Health Care, team members advocate for all patients.
EDUCATION
Collaborate with the Stanford School of Medicine to provide education and research on language access.
Partner with leading interpreter/translator training programs to provide internships for students from:
- Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
- City College of San Francisco
INDUSTRY LEADERS
Team members have helped shape language access standards through active participation in professional organizations including:
- American Translators Association
- California Healthcare Interpreting Association
- Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters
- National Council on Interpreting in Health Care
- Northern California Translators Association