Harborview Interpreter Services Department

Harborview Medical Center serves a culturally and linguistically diverse population in the King County area. The role of the Interpreter Services Department is to ensure that these patients receive equitable access to the medical services offered there at any given time by providing language and communication support.

Our Mission:

To contribute to the elimination of health care disparities experienced by limited English proficient and the hearing impaired populations who receive care at Harborview Medical Center by:

• Providing effective interpretation services in response to a continuum of
  need.

• Maintaining partnerships with patients, families, communities, providers and
  staff that promote culturally competent care.

• Making information about culture, health, illness and community resources

  available to health care providers who see refugee and immigrant patients.

Services Provided at Harborview:

See Harborview's Interpreter Services UW Medicine Page to contact the department about needs for language or cultural support.

• Free medical interpretation (in person, by phone , and by video) by DSHS accredited interpreters in more than 80 languages and dialects. These include but are not limited to Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese , Amharic, Mandarin, Tigrigna, Cantonese, Oromo and Russian.
• Communication assistance for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing with the use of American Sign Language, TTy machines and other aids

• Navigation assistance through the Community House Calls Program for 6 languages (Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Amharic, Tigrigna and Cambodian)

Related Link:

Seattle Channel's Community Stories: Medical Interpreters -- A Bridge to Care
Navigating the health care system can be daunting, especially if there are cultural and language barriers. Medical interpreters, who often draw from their own experiences and histories, work with patients and providers to bridge those gaps.  This 15 minute video highlights the experiences of several medical interpreters at Harborview Medical Center and University of Washington Medical Center.

Link to video: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3170919