Patient outreach & preparation
- Patient touchpoints not accessible for Deaf and HOH individuals
- Lack of access leads to patient loss or, worse, ADA lawsuits
Healthcare
Raise the Bar for Healthcare Across the Deaf Community
Support Deaf patients who walk into hospitals and healthcare institutions every day with medical issues whose resolution relies upon clear and accurate communication.
Why Birnbaum Interpreting Services for Healthcare
All healthcare facilities are required by ADA law to provide fair and reasonable accommodation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. We help you communicate clearly with your practitioners across every signed dialect, format, and device.
Decades of experience with hospitals, private practices, radiologists, and more
Scalable services nationwide, both onsite and remote
Compliance-ready support that integrates with security and HIPAA requirements
Supporting clear communication across all medical circumstances–no pushing VRI when situations call for onsite
Instant access for telehealth operations
Decades of experience across all signed dialects, supported by industry-specialized interpreters and regulatory-aware teams.
Frictions in Healthcare
As healthcare organizations expand, so do the points where communication and accessibility can break down. Small gaps in language, documentation, or digital content often create barriers for all stakeholders, from doctors and nurses to patients and families.
Patient intake
- Processing and intake inaccessible to Deaf patients and families
- Delays in intake can lead to negative patient outcomes and ADA noncompliance
Family communication
- Lack of access for Deaf families–especially hearing patients with Deaf families
- Families possess critical information about patients that can be lost without translation
Staff training & preparedness
- Service requests delayed until well after Deaf patient/family arrival
- Misunderstanding of appropriate service for each circumstance
Emergencies & Urgent Care
- Hospitals without ADA-compliant access services risk serious consequences
- Poor patient outcomes and potential litigation can be avoided through accessibility preparedness
Doctor’s visits
- Patients without access will miss key information. Lip-readers catch roughly 30% of spoken content
- Without an access point practices are vulnerable to ADA violations
Patient monitoring
- Reports unclear for patients and loved ones
- Incorrect procedures and delayed intervention due to miscommunication
Digital patient portals
- Interfaces not accessible to all patients
- Lack of ASL Localization or Captioning across tools
Telehealth Access
- Telehealth is increasing yet lags access compliance standards
- Lack of access = lost customers
Our Solutions
Impact on healthcare
01
Consistent communication & equitable access
Clear, accessible information for patients, families, and practitioners—reducing misunderstandings, supporting engagement, and strengthening equity.
02
Improved learning outcomes for multilingual students
03
Reduced administrative burden for staff
04
Stronger doctor-patient relationships
05
Future-ready communication systems
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, BIS has served hospitals and urgent care centers across the country for nearly three decades. Our nationwide network of more than 3,000 interpreters, 250 captioners, and other access resources ensures that we can have an interpreter en route to any given location within minutes.
BIS also offers VRI for situations that require immediate service, and also to bridge the gap between arrival of the patient and the onsite interpreter. BIS VRI is available on-demand, at the click of a button.Through our hybrid model, BIS offers immediate access via VRI as dispatched onsite interpreters are en route—ensuring minimal delays during critical care moments.
BIS offers a wide range of interpreting and communication services tailored to healthcare settings, including onsite sign language interpreting, video remote interpreting (VRI), captioning, localization and postproduction, foreign language interpreting, over-the-phone interpreting, and document translation. These options support clear communication between patients, caregivers, and medical staff across different languages and communication needs.
BIS supports healthcare partners with 24/7 service and emergency access, including remote and onsite interpreting support. More specifically, our operations team offers support 24/7 as well. Regardless of when service is required, BIS’s coordination team is prepared to respond.
This is a critical distinction from other providers that offer on-call service after hours. For example, BIS understands that VRI is not a substitute for onsite interpreting. Many scenarios require that an interpreter be onsite, including labor and delivery and most emergency visits. BIS provides all client hospitals and healthcare facilities 24/7 consultation so you can rest assured that we will provide the appropriate service and customer support.
Yes, all BIS interpreters working in healthcare settings are compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), ensuring that patient information remains protected and private while facilitating accurate and confidential communication.
For one, all interpreters, translators, and captioners are sworn to the Code of Professional Conduct. Inherent to the CPC is total confidentiality. Breach of confidentiality is grounds for immediate loss of certification and dismissal from BIS.
Secondly, the BIS VRI platform is fully HIPAA-compliant. Our developers work with individual customers to integrate securely with existing systems.
Ready to create a more inclusive, accessible space?
We're here to help. Contact BIS to support your Deaf access needs, ensure compliance, and build community.
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