Language Services at Nationwide Children's
Every word matters.
The Language Services Department coordinates medical interpretation and translation services for families with limited English proficiency and for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
To help effectively communicate with care providers, all patients/families are offered and provided access to language services for essential health-related communications at no cost. Languages services are provided through a combination of staff interpreters, contractors, and video and telephone services.
Nationwide Children’s has certified interpreters on staff. Certified interpreters have a high level of proficiency in at least two languages and have superior professional skills. They also have the appropriate training and experience to interpret with skill and accuracy, while adhering to the National Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice published by the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care. In addition, Nationwide Children’s contracts with selected agencies to provide on-site, remote video, and phone interpreter services.
How to Access Language Services
- Patient/family dials toll-free number
- Patient/family hears Nationwide Children's in-language custom greeting and is connected to interpreter
- Patient/family and interpreter is connected to Nationwide Children's operator
| Language | Phone Number |
|
Español/Spanish |
(877) 295-5817 |
|
Soomaaliga/Somali |
(800) 213-1001 |
|
العربية/Arabic |
(877) 329-0152 |
|
Français/French |
(888) 898-1299 |
|
日本語/Japanese |
(888) 400-7741 |
|
普通話/普通话/Mandarin |
(888) 641-5054 |
|
粵語/粤语/Cantonese |
(866) 876-7177 |
|
Português/Portuguese |
(888) 781-5284 |
|
नेपाली/Nepali |
(866) 876-6948 |
Additional languages are available by dialing (866) 863-8740, and selecting the appropriate option:
| Language | Select After Dialing |
|
Shqip/Albanian |
1 |
|
ភាសាខ្មែរ/Cambodian |
2 |
|
فارسی/Farsi |
3 |
|
Deutsch/German |
4 |
|
Italiana/Italian |
5 |
|
한국어/Korean |
6 |
|
Русский/Russian |
7 |
|
Türkçe/Turkish |
8 |
|
Tiếng Việt/Vietnamese |
9 |
To Request an Interpreter for an Appointment
- When you schedule the appointment, inform the scheduler that an interpreter will be needed.
- Confirm your preferred language to communicate with clinical staff.
What You Can Expect at Your Appointment
Your interpreter may be at your appointment in person, or they may interpret by telephone or video during the appointment. All of these services are managed through the department and available to support you in getting the best possible care.
Direct Interpreter Access Line (DIAL) for Patients and Families
This service provides patients and families with access to interpreter services every time they contact Nationwide Children’s staff.
When a patient and family with limited English proficiency calls the DIAL toll-free number, they are greeted by an automated message, recorded in their preferred language. After the caller hears the greeting, a qualified interpreter is connected to the call. The caller and the interpreter are then connected to one of the Nationwide Children’s operators for further service.
How It Works
- Patient/family dials toll-free number
- Patient/family hears Nationwide Children's in-language custom greeting and is connected to interpreter
- Patient/family and interpreter is connected to Nationwide Children's operator
Refer to the table above for the preferred language.