Bedford Memorial, Bedford, PA

Bedford, PA

"This is a wonderful addition in our continuing efforts to be more accommodating to the patients and visitors needs while at our hospital.  Hearing-impaired patients will be much more comfortable knowing they are able to communicate quickly and efficiently with their doctor or other health professional while being treated at our facility," said Roger Winn, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Frederick, MD

"We are now able to provide an interpreter in minutes rather than subject the deaf community to sometimes up to an hour's wait for an interpreter to arrive," states Cynthia Russell, ED Director. "This is a win-win situation for both our patients and our staff, because it's imperative that we all be able to communicate."

"We had three complaints on interpreting services from the deaf community," explains Nan Principe-Crockette, Director of Patient Relations. "In the past we have phoned an interpreter who has to travel to the hospital. Although these people would come right away, it could take up to an hour. We got two Deaf-Talk units this summer. We now use Deaf-Talk several times a week. We will call in an on-site interpreter if a deaf person requests it, but none has ever done so since the service has been in place.

"We held an open house for the deaf community after installation. At first the deaf people would not approach the unit, and they stood at the back of the room with their arms crossed. Finally one or two approached the unit and began to converse with the interpreter. Soon they were all pushing each other out of the way to get in to talk to the interpreter. It has been a big success for us."

Dover, NH

According to Gregory Walker, president and CEO, this unique service provides the deaf and hearing-impaired patients and their families quick access to interpreter services. "This system insures the deaf population will receive the best quality interpreting services in the fastest possible time," he said.

"It is difficult to get certified sign language interpreters around the clock," Marcia Odom, Manager of Communications, said. "Now the service is truly a phone call away."

Rochester, NY

"This is really an exciting service for those of us in the medical field," said Ruth Henderson, Emergency Room Nurse Manager.

"The Deaf-Talk unit is fantastic, and this is the only word that can be used to describe it. We got our unit this summer. We had a very difficult time finding sign interpreters in our area. Our doctors and nurses have had a positive experience using it, and the enlightened look on a deaf patient's face when they understand what someone is telling them makes it worth its weight in gold. It's like Velcro^® or Post-It^® notes. Once you start using it, you can't imagine what you did without it. We have 13 points of deployment so far, and we will be adding more."

"In a medical setting where minutes can be critical, this service can reduce worries and other stress for the hearing impaired," said Hilary Douglass, Community Relations Director. 

Leslie Allain, mother of patient Hunter Allain said "It puts Hunter at ease immediately to see someone signing to him.  And for me, we are able to get the answers right away."   

"When seconds matter, having the Deaf-Talk service is invaluable to us," Emergency Department Director Robert Anthony said.

Biddeford, ME

"Our experience with Deaf-Talk is excellent," said the Director of the Emergency Department. "We use it once or twice a week. Some of our patients still insist on an on-site interpreter, so we see it as complementary to on-site interpreters. Deaf-Talk has three major benefits: first is compliance with the federal regulations; second is the instant access needed for the emergency department; third, Deaf-Talk can be lower cost. We have few interpreters available in our area, and they are not close. By the time we pay for travel time and the minimum session time for an on-site interpreter, we could spend $400 for one hour of total interpreting."