St. Charles Hospital recently installed Deaf Talk, a video conferencing system which allows two-way communication between a patient, a doctor, and an off-site interpreter.  

Deaf Talk, slated as “Audio Video Interpreting Services on Demand,” is a twenty-four hour, 7 day-a-week service, offering 150 different languages in addition to sign language.  The deaf interpreters are all medically qualified and certified by both the Registry of Interpretation for the Deaf (RID) and the National Association for the Deaf (NAD), where interpreters are required to achieve the fourth and fifth levels of certification.  

Robert Fisher of Deaf Talk recently visited  St. Charles to explain and demonstrate the Deaf Talk system.  The system consists of a television placed on a cart with a phone and a small black box.  To utilize the system, one simply plugs the unit into a designated outlet, turns the television and black box on, calls the telephone number posted on the side of the television, and waits for a return call transmitting the video picture.

Dante Latorre, Assistant Vice President of Quality Management at St. Charles said Deaf Talk was further testimony to the integrity of St. Charles.  

"While St. Charles has always served the interest of the hearing-impaired community and non-English speaking customers through an interpretive agency, this new system will facilitate the availability of certified sign-language interpreters within minutes of notice, “ he said.

“This system, which guarantees an interpreter 24 hours per day, seven days per week, will help promote a more comfortable and positive hospital experience for our hearing impaired or non-English speaking patients.  This system speaks volumes about St. Charles' commitment to the deaf community.”

St. Charles Hospital is a 289-bed community hospital located in Port Jefferson on Long Island. The hospital is renowned for its centers of excellence including maternity, orthopaedics and rehabilitation.  It also offers the only Emergency Department in the area featuring a team of physicians who have all completed their residency training in emergency medicine.

St. Charles Hospital treats over 10,000 inpatients a year and more than 175,000 outpatients.    

(Photo: Robert Fisher demonstrating the Deaf Talk system.)

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