Health care interpreters becoming vital part of medical team

As Dr. Deb McLeish prepared to inject Botox into the arms and legs of 10-year-old Jossi Cabello to relieve stiffness from cerebral palsy, McLeish had to make sure Jossis mother understood the risks.

Guadalupe Cabello speaks Spanish, so McLeish relied on an interpreter, Guadalupe Mangin.

McLeish told Cabello that Botox is related to the toxin that causes botulism, which can result in paralysis. Mangin repeated the words in Spanish.

But when Botox is injected into muscles, it stays in the nerves and doesnt go into the bloodstream, McLeish said, pausing as Mangin relayed the message.

Thats why we can use it as a therapy, McLeish said, Mangin echoing her again.

Cabello consented to the treatment.

Mangin, who works for UW Health, isnt just bilingual. Shes trained and certified as a health care interpreter, a job that is becoming more standardized as health care organizations treat an increasingly diverse spectrum of patients.

Years ago, hospitals and clinics relied on bilingual employees or patients family members to help if communication wasnt clear. But medicine is technical, with liability on the line. Family members sometimes filter information, thinking theyre protecting loved ones when they could be jeopardizing their care.

Today, health systems employ interpreters, hire others on a freelance basis and use national phone or video services as back-up. In 2013, health systems in Dane County started requiring in-person interpreters to be certified. To help train people for the national exam, Madison Area Technical College expanded its health care interpreting classes in 2012.

For patients with limited English proficiency, trained interpreters are a vital part of the health care team, said Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, UW Healths director of community partnerships and interpreter services.

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Health care interpreters becoming vital part of medical team