Staff interpreters at Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare in La Crosse, Wisconsin, work to make sure that every patient—no matter their language—understands how to take their medication through the hospital’s “Meds to Beds” program.
“Meds to Beds” is designed to get medication to patients along with the knowledge on how to use it before they walk out the door. In addition to in-person interpreters, Mayo offers online language services.
“It’s a medication delivery service offered to our patients that are in the hospital,” said Ciolagh Puent, a pharmacist at Mayo. “We bring the medication to their room so they have it going home,” Puent said.
“We explain how many times they’re supposed to take it and why they’re getting that medication,” said Dora Zetina, a Spanish interpreter at Mayo.
“Like the pharmacists say, the readmission rate is high if you’re not 100% sure how to take your medication,” said Colleen Cudo, an American Sign Language interpreter at Mayo.
Zetina said she likes to think that her voice helps patients feel at peace when they leave a doctor’s care. “It’s priceless,” Zetina said. “That feeling to me, it’s a victory that I get to go home and take that with me.”
Cudo said that even though patients may speak different languages and live inside different cultures, everyone shares the desire to be understood. “It’s a great job to be able to empower patients.”
Read Full Article from News8000.com (WI) (02/02/22)
Author: Fremstad, Jordan
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