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Hospitals say new cordless phone helps communication with patients who speak diverse languages

Industry-first for interpretation

PRNewswire

TUCSON, Ariz. — Hospitals, struggling with fast- paced and diverse circumstances, are finding an industry-first cordless phone helpful in delivering quality patient service. A routine day for hospital caregivers across the country is one in which seconds count and with multiple challenges, including patients who collectively speak more than 100 languages.

At Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, often rated in U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Hospitals,” a solution to language interpretation is a new cordless phone. The facility recently completed a beta test of ClearLink(TM) Cordless, the new dual-handset phone from CyraCom. CyraCom invented its patented dual-handset phone, now known as ClearLink(TM), in 1995. The innovative device is used for over-the-phone interpretation in more than 1,000 hospitals and health care facilities across the nation.

Citing convenient access to medical interpreters, Banner Good Samaritan language and cultural services manager Maria Burruel notes the cordless phone is set up for immediate availability at a nurses station. “In our fast-paced environment, this helps us be more responsive to our patients’ needs,” she said.

Many hospital departments have varying challenges other than speed. Take, for example, South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y., which serves Long Island and which also was a ClearLink(TM) Cordless beta test site. Treating physical therapy patients whose language preference is other than English means mobility for telephonic interpretation is crucial. Chief physical therapist Nancy L. Glessner notes that the cordless handsets and headset option make over-the-phone interpretation much more effective while treating patients during physical therapy.

“This phone is developed for medical interpretation,” said CyraCom CEO Michael Greenbaum. “It supplements our ClearLink(TM) telephone---which is known familiarly as ‘The Blue Phone’ because of its distinct color---and is well-suited for use in departments such as emergency, labor and delivery and physical therapy. It can be used when clinicians need it and virtually anywhere.”

CyraCom provides languages services, including document translation and medical interpreter testing and training, in addition to telephonic interpretation. It publishes award-winning biannual language trend information as part of its CyraCom Language Institute offerings.

See www.cyracom.com/news for more information.

Source: CyraCom

Contact
Cliff Popp, cpopp@rountreegroup.com or or Lisa Hester, lhester@rountreegroup.com, both of Rountree Group, +1-770-645-4545

Web site: http://www.cyracom.com/news