This spring, Tufts Medical Center made further strides towards greater health equity in our community. Our Interpreter Services and Telecommunication teams, which were already on hand to assist patient's in-person, on telehealth and via the phone, have expanded their reach to make access even easier. A new program called DirectResponse offers seven additional languages for callers who dial the Medical Center's mainline, 617.636.6500, seeking assistance with appointments, talking to their care provider, understanding their billing and more. Callers will now receive the option to immediately speak to someone in one of the following languages, instead of being transferred by the operator:
- Cantonese
- Haitian Creole
- Mandarin
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
These 7 languages are some of the most commonly spoken languages among our patient population, which, altogether, speaks over 40 unique languages.
After dialing the main line and being connected with an interpreter, the interpreter and the patient are then directed back to the operator together who will transfer them to the department the patient would like to speak with. The interpreter remains on the line to support the non-English speaking patient for the entirety of their call with the department.
Tufts Medical Center is dedicated to expanding health equity in our diverse community and we are delighted to have made this step towards that goal.
