Interpreter Services
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center provides high-quality interpreter services to non-English speaking patients. The department employs over 50 full and part-time interpreters and provides over 70,000 face to face encounters and 30,000 telephone encounters every year in about 30 languages.
In most cases, interpreters for outpatient appointments can be booked automatically by clinics/departments within the medical center. This means that when an appointment is booked with the doctor or provider, the interpreter is automatically booked at the same time through our unique system.
About Medical Interpreting
Interpreters abide by a set of Standards of Practice and are trained in medical terminology. BIDMC interpreters are committed to maintaining and improving their skills through various professional development opportunities within the medical interpreting profession and in the medical center itself. The art of medical interpretation requires an understanding of anatomy and physiology, linguistic competency, and interpersonal skills. The department collaborates with the BIDMC Ethics Support Service and many other clinics to address, in depth, the complexities that arise as part of the work. Interpreters respect patient confidentiality, are committed to providing the best in patient care, and work closely with the medical teams with the goal of maintaining patient safety.
