Behind the Scenes

Our team consisting of interpreters and advocates of inclusivity and health equity deliberated and chose expressions that students and providers can learn to create a direct connection with patients that speak a language other than English. Five interpreters for the five most spoken non-English languages in the UMass system graciously volunteered their time to bring this resource to life. Interpreters translated the expressions and in collaboration with AV Services, the expressions were recorded for visual and auditory learning. Each expression underwent phonetic respelling to guide pronunciation.

This was a collaborative effort by:

Max Grecchi  |  Interpreter Services, UMass Memorial Medical Center
Vanessa DaCunha  |  Interpreter Services, UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital
Jules Trobaugh  |  Diversity & Inclusion Office, UMass Chan Medical School
Carla Delacruz Davila  |  Office of Student Life, UMass Chan Medical School
Amy Cheung  |  MD/PhD student, UMass Chan Medical School

Additional resources:

Interpreter Services at UMass Memorial Medical Center
Phrases of Courtesy Tool created by University of Washington School of Medicine
Cambridge Health Alliance YouTube channel provides COVID-19 educational videos in different languages courtesy of Multilingual Affairs & Patient Services