Archive for February 6th, 2010

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So I stumbled across this article while looking at the newspaper.  This article is about the trouble deaf patients have been having at hospitals.  These patients have struggled to understand and communicate with doctors and the hospital staff.  Mary Ann and David Nelson, both deaf, frequently asked for an interpreter during their meetings with their doctor.  The request was never filled and the Nelson’s never knew that Mary Ann’s cancer was terminal.  Mary Ann Nelson lost her battle in May 2006.  “North Memorial Hospital agrees to pay $105,000 to settle charges that Nelson and another patient were not provided access to qualified sign language interpreters.”  The other part of this article talks about hospitals having to comply with new regulations about having interpreters and hospitals trying to solve the problem.

I think this article is important because it shines light on the flaws our systems still have.  I think the hospitals need to pay more attention to these small details becasue they are obviously not so small.  I think this article is important because it speaks to all hospitals and holds them responsible for the error they made.  It is also a lesson to other hospitals!  I think that author did a good job explaining and giving details that apply to us as readers.

This article also intrigues me because I think that I want to learn more sign language than I already know and be a interpreter on the side of whatever job that I get.  I think it would be helpful and interesting because of the people I would get to meet.

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