Interpreter Services

Siteman partners with Barnes-Jewish Hospital to make sure that patients have access to translation services.  If they speak a language that is not spoken English, including American Sign language. It is every patient’s right to have the ability to communicate in the language they are most comfortable with when getting their cancer care. Translations services for patients are free and offered every day. All the information an interpreter hears and translates is kept confidential so patients can feel comfortable and discuss any questions or concerns freely.

Siteman’s clinic staff make arrangements for patients needing an interpreter and will organize this part of the visit before it takes place. Because Barnes-Jewish Hospital employs 23 interpreters at the Center for Advanced Medicine (CAM), they are able to attend visits in-person in most cases. If a visit is unplanned or an emergency, an interpreter can often arrive in 2-4 hours’ notice.

For patients or visitors visiting the Center for Advanced Medicine, the Barnard Health & Cancer Information Center (BHCIC) concierge desk has created “I speak” cards to help identify what language and interpreter may be most helpful.  Another tool being utilized for patients who are deaf, hard of hearing or have limited English is VidaTalk, an app that bridges communication gaps. For patients visiting Siteman’s satellite locations, the clinic can arrange interpreter services as well.

What languages can Siteman patients have interpreted in person at the CAM:

  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Arabic
  • Bosnian
  • Dari
  • Farsi
  • Kurdish
  • Spanish
  • Nepali
  • Pashtu
  • Russian
  • Swahili
  • Vietnamese

For those languages that Barnes-Jewish Hospital does not have on staff, there are several contracted agencies that provides this service over the phone or virtually.