workers comp.

When Workers’ Compensation and Hospital Interpreters Collide (personal experience #3)

1 Comment / Ethics, Experience, Interpreting, Medical Interpreting / Jeffrey Alfonso / October 28, 2016 / Assuring accuracy for your peace of mind, ethics, Hospital Interpreter, interpreter ethics, Medical interpretation, medical interpreter, workers comp., Workers compensation

I arrived at the hospital, ready to interpret for a very nervous patient. For almost an entire year, I had provided interpretation for the patient at doctors’ appointments, physical therapy, and even for medical tests. I was there when the doctor first prescribed tests while sending him to physical therapy. I accompanied him for physical […]

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Why do Court Interpreters Need this Information?

1 Comment / Ethics, Legal Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Workers' Comp / EOAlfonso / September 30, 2016 / court interpreter, interpreter ethics, language services, Legal Interpreting, simultaneous, spanish, workers comp., Workers compensation

Trials are expensive. A good number of lawyers love them. Some attorneys hate them. Many persons have vowed to have their day in court, and that day usually involves a trial. Disagreements are why trials exist. When individuals cannot agree or are at an impasse, this formal examination is brought before a competent court of

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Hospital and Workers Comp Interpreters – Why have 2?

1 Comment / Medical Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / September 20, 2016 / court interpreter, ethics, Hospital Interpreter, interpreter ethics, Medical interpretation, medical interpreter, workers comp., Workers compensation

It is common for workers’ compensation (WC) interpreters to be assigned to accompany a patient to all his medical visits. When they arrive at the doctor’s office, they discover that the doctor is affiliated with a hospital; therefore, a hospital interpreter is also provided. By policy, the hospital must have its interpreter present to

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Dumpster Safety

1 Comment / OSHA, Safety, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / September 2, 2016 / Dumpster safety, OSHA, Safety, Safety tips, workers comp.

Safety Chat Dumpsters are a safety concern because they carry risks that aren’t always obvious to many people. Much of the waste thrown into them can be sharp and jagged with the potential to cut or puncture a person. Toxic substances have been tossed in them, although dumpsters aren’t the appropriate disposal location for them.

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When Good People Interpreting Are Unethical

1 Comment / Ethics, Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting / Jeffrey Alfonso / August 19, 2016 / ethics, Hospital Interpreter, Legal Interpreting, Medical interpretation, medical interpreter, spanish, workers comp., Workers compensation, workers' comp

Imagine this scenario. Instead of hiring a professional interpreter, familiar and cognizant of the code of ethics, an untrained bilingual person is hired to simply cover the assignment, a warm body. Without proper knowledge and training, the bilingual person who interprets most likely will unconsciously commit serious ethical violations, all the while believing she is

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Lightning Safety

1 Comment / OSHA, Safety / Jeffrey Alfonso / August 6, 2016 / lightning safety, Safety, Safety tips, workers comp., Workers compensation

Recently in the news, four people working at a peach farm were sent to the hospital after being struck by lightning in South Carolina. One woman was struck by lightning while de-boarding a plane in Columbia. Lightning struck the Taqueria los Compadres restaurant in Murrells Inlet one Wednesday afternoon, sending three people to the hospital

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Wild West for Workers’ Compensation Interpreters

1 Comment / Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / July 12, 2016 / interpreter ethics, interpreting, Medical interpretation, medical interpreter, workers comp., Workers compensation

Workers’ compensation interpreters hired by insurance companies are typically subcontracted through a language agency. Language agencies then subcontract out to individual entrepreneurs who are responsible for their own continuing education and training. This unregulated process often results in a long list of common problems. I have given much thought to the occasional conflicts that

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When Worlds Collide: Workers’ Compensation and Hospital Interpreters (a personal experience)

1 Comment / Experience, Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / June 3, 2016 / Healthcare interpreting, Hospital Interpreter, interpreter ethics, medical interpreter, workers comp., Workers compensation

I was at the hospital ready to interpret for a very nervous patient. For almost an entire year, I provided interpreting services for him at doctors’ appointments, physical therapy and even for medical tests. I was the assigned interpreter when the doctor first ordered tests and prescribed physical therapy. After a while, the doctor

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How Case Managers Can Work with Interpreters – Part III

1 Comment / Business, Communication, Ethics, Experience, Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / April 16, 2014 / Assuring accuracy for your peace of mind, Business ethics, ethics, interpreter ethics, Medical interpretation, workers comp., Workers compensation

This entry will conclude my three-part series on effective relations between the case manager and the interpreter. Role Boundaries: “The interpreter maintains the boundaries of the professional role, refraining from personal involvement.” We discussed this a little, but another issue merits consideration. Some case managers will ask the interpreter to relay messages if the patient

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How Case Managers Can Work with Interpreters – Part II

4 Comments / Business, Communication, Ethics, Experience, Interpreting, Medical Interpreting, Spanish Interpreting, Workers' Comp / Jeffrey Alfonso / March 22, 2014 / Business ethics, ethics, interpreter ethics, interpreting, Medical interpretation, workers comp., Workers compensation

In Part II of case managers and interpreters working together, I highlight a few misunderstood points. Accuracy: The principle is that “Interpreters strive to render the message accurately, conveying the content and spirit of the original message, taking into consideration the cultural context.” Some case managers are annoyed and confused when I repeat the same

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When Workers’ Compensation and Hospital Interpreters Collide (personal experience #3)

Why do Court Interpreters Need this Information?

Hospital and Workers Comp Interpreters – Why have 2?

Dumpster Safety

When Good People Interpreting Are Unethical

Lightning Safety

Wild West for Workers’ Compensation Interpreters

When Worlds Collide: Workers’ Compensation and Hospital Interpreters (a personal experience)

How Case Managers Can Work with Interpreters – Part III

How Case Managers Can Work with Interpreters – Part II

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