It has been years since the COVID pandemic transformed the world. For hospitals, it continued to expose gaps and created a heightened awareness of unprecedented challenges, exposing the stark reality of the barriers that exist to healthcare. An accessible healthcare experience means overcoming these obstacles, being innovative and forging ahead with inspiring solutions.
In January 2023, the hospital introduced Voyce – a platform that would address language barriers in crucial moments at the point of patient-staff interaction and the bedside. Loved ones were often relied upon as interpreters, creating a dependency that put them at risk of misunderstandings in the care required. A new approach to health care at the most basic points of entry to the hospital were desperately needed.
Voyce is that solution. Designed to connect patients with medically trained interpreters, it breaks down language barriers at crucial moments. By offering access to over 240 languages and dialects, it empowers patients to make informed healthcare decisions in their preferred language. As a tool for advancing health equity, Voyce reflects CMH’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and has become essential in supporting patients in their care journey.
To truly understand the impact of this device, meet Para. Her story highlights the challenges experienced accessing American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation at the hospital. The Patient Experience Team introduced her to CMH's virtual interpretation solution and worked with her to improve awareness and access to this service. The video will play where Para shares how this solution impacted her experience at CMH.
To learn more about what precipitated this change, watch the video from the beginning.
The video was filmed and edited by Alvin W., Para's husband.