Barton Health employee recognized as Language Access Champion

Access to health care can be difficult in a small community, especially if you do not speak the same language.

At Barton Health, Language Access Coordinator Tracy Young, RN, CMI has set out to improve the patient experience for all patients, regardless of the language they speak. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed and on June 5, the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) recognized Young as one of three Language Access Champions.

The NCIHC Language Access Champion award honors a person, program, or organization whose work has contributed to improving the lives of all people through the promotion of linguistic competence in healthcare.

Ardemagni is the NCIHC President and one of the Language Access Champion judges. “The nominations for this year’s recipients were overwhelmingly impressive, and I can state unequivocally Tracy Young and Barton Health’s Language Access Services department is truly deserving of this recognition,” stated Enrica J. Ardemagni.
Young is a certified medical interpreter, interpreter trainer, and registered nurse. She oversees the Barton Health Language Access Services team and program that has interpretive and translation services in more than 200 languages. The department consists of 31 Barton staff interpreters and 28 video remote interpreter machines.

“This award belongs to the entire interpreter and translator staff,” Young said after receiving the award. “We are fortunate to have a large group of interpreters on staff who work patiently and diligently with many patients.” In addition to providing translated materials, interpreters assist patients and their families and can help interpret at community outreach events, such as Barton’s wellness lectures.

In 2013, Young and Barton Health staff worked with Smartling and Twin Translations to launch a Spanish version of the Barton Health website, es.bartonhealth.org. “Barton Health’s language access programs are so strong, it’s easy to forget that this is a small, rural health system,” says Judy Jenner, a Twin Translations translator. “Tracy Young has gone above and beyond to make language access for Spanish speakers a reality and we are excited to see her hard work recognized at a national level.”

The National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) promotes and enhances language access in health care in the United States. The group is composed of leaders from around the country who work as medical interpreters, interpreter service coordinators and trainers, clinicians, policymakers, advocates and researchers. For more information, visit ncihc.org.national level.”