York Hospital's Deaf Talk System Goes High Tech

You rush into the ER with your infant daughter screaming in great pain. The medical staff begins with a flourish of questions for you in an attempt to pinpoint the problem. You’re trying to help, but obviously, can’t speak for your child! This may be a frustration you’ve had yourself...but over time, as your child gets older and is able to communicate on her own, this frustration diminishes.

When considering the situation of a deaf or hearing impaired adult in the same ER situation, imagine that same level of frustration…but it’s one that doesn’t go away over time.

York Hospital eases this anxiety for deaf or hard-of-hearing patients with the help of its newly upgraded DeafTalk system. Now, the wireless system is available to any deaf or hearing-impaired visitor/patient who is able to communicate via American Sign Language (ASL) and has no visual impairments. The system is straightforward, streamlined and intuitive …and includes the most advanced technology, thanks to DeafTalk’s partnership with SONY Video Systems.

Because it is now wireless,it can be used anywhere on the York Hospital Campus where a signal may be accessed. How does the process work? Easy! When a staff member knows of a need for interpretation services, s/he simply makes a phone call. The system (monitor with column-style cart) will be brought to the patient at the appointed time – or asap, if time is of the essence, and a hospital staff member will then contact the DeafTalk staff, and reserve a “virtual room” with one of their ASL Certified Interpreters.

After the interpreter appears on screen, the patient would then begin to explain symptoms or any pertinent information using ASL. In turn, the interpreter repeats the patient’s comments using ASL while simultaneously verbally repeating the comments to the medical staff. In this way, the patient can watch, and be assured that what the interpreter is saying is what s/he intended. Just as with any hearing patient, medical staff prefers to receive details directly from the patient, rather than from an accompanying family member, who may have a differing perspective.

DeafTalk at York Hospital. It’s simply another tool we use to provide exceptional care and make unbelievable experiences happen every day. For more information, contact the hospital's Friendraising office at (207) 351-2385 or e-mail fr@yorkhospital.com.