The year-old partnership between Parkview and UCHealth in Pueblo has brought a range of transformative health care innovations to the region, including virtual health services, virtual sepsis monitoring, access to personalized medicine through the biobank, and increased mental health support for veterans and their families through the Next Chapter program. These initiatives underscore UCHealth Parkview’s commitment to advancing accessible, high-quality health care for every patient.
With a growing population of patients from diverse backgrounds, the addition of UCHealth Parkview’s enhanced interpretive services now ensures that language is never a barrier to receiving high-quality medical care.
“We are continually looking at how we can meet the specific needs of each patient,” explained Emerald Oport, coordinator of interpreter services for UCHealth Parkview. “It’s about delivering not just the right medical care but also the right communication methods that work best for them.”
UCHealth Parkview offers comprehensive interpretive and language services around the clock, ensuring patients can access assistance in over 350 languages, including American Sign Language. These services are carefully tailored to meet the unique needs and complexities of each patient interaction, with options including telephone, video, and in-person interpretation.
Telephone interpretation is an ideal solution for brief and straightforward communications. Available 24/7, this service provides immediate access to interpreters. It is especially useful for short interactions such as patient registration and basic consultations, ensuring seamless communication when other methods are unavailable.
Video Remote Interpretation is well-suited for more complex interactions, including routine clinical conversations and follow-up appointments. New interactive tablets were added in September and are now accessible in every unit. This service connects health care providers and patients with certified medical interpreters in over 40 languages through interactive real-time video, enabling clear and efficient communication.
In-person interpretation is available on request for situations that demand a more individualized touch, such as pre-surgery meetings, new diagnoses, or multidisciplinary team consultations. This option is particularly useful for pediatric, elderly or disabled patients needing additional support.
These services are essential for enhancing care quality and patient experience, especially for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. Transparent masks are available to assist patients who speech-read, and UCHealth staff receive training to support patients who communicate in various ways. Additionally, written translation services ensure that patients receive important documents in their preferred language, making health care information more accessible.
“Everyone deserves excellent care in a language they understand,” said Scott Suckow, senior director of UCHealth Interpreter Services. “Our interpretive services reflect our dedication to creating a supportive environment where every patient feels empowered and understood, regardless of language or background.”
In addition to the interpretive services, UCHealth Parkview is committed to supporting patients with disabilities. Special accommodations are available for deaf patients with additional sensory or cognitive disabilities, such as deaf-blind patients, who may require hearing and deaf interpreters.
“Effective communication goes beyond translation—it’s about building trust,” added Oport. “I am the voice of the patient and the voice of the staff. When a patient sees that we are there to help them understand their health, it reduces fear and fosters confidence in the care they are receiving. Knowing we’re making a difference in that way is incredibly rewarding.”
UCHealth’s interpretive services extend across all its facilities, including outpatient clinics and specialty practices, ensuring that language services are consistently available wherever patients need them. Every year, UCHealth provides interpreters to over 400,000 patients, two-thirds of whom are Spanish-speaking.