Fort Washington Medical Center To Ensure Effective Communication For Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing Patients

Under a settlement agreement reached with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, deaf patients at the Fort Washington Medical Center in Prince George's County, Md., will be screened and provided with sign language interpreters whenever interpreter services are necessary for effective communication.

The settlement was negotiated following an investigation by the Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in response to a complaint from a deaf patient. The man entered the emergency room late one evening accompanied by his 11-year-old son. Although the man and his son requested an interpreter, none was provided, and the medical staff relied on the son to interpret for his father in the emergency room.