Tuesday, August 25, 2026
St Joseph’s Health Care London Introduces New Tools to Break Down Language Barriers
Volunteers at hospital entrances are now wearing language identification buttons and iPads with language interpretation software have been installed.
For someone who doesn’t speak English fluently, going to the hospital and asking for help can feel overwhelming. St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) is making that experience a little easier with two new tools to help patients and visitors communicate in a language they prefer.
Volunteers who speak a second language are now wearing buttons identifying the languages they speak and the response from patients and visitors was almost immediate. Within the first two weeks of the initiative, volunteers have already assisted more than 25 people in another language. So far, 14 languages are represented including Arabic, Mandarin, French and Hindi with more languages to be added as new volunteers join.
Monica Naskret-Reyes, a seven-year volunteer who speaks Spanish, put on her ‘Hablo español’ (I speak Spanish) button. On her second day wearing it, she noticed a couple speaking Spanish who appeared to be lost and looking for their doctor’s office. She approached them and pointed to her button. Their response was simply ‘si’ (yes).
“Patients are instantly relieved when they are able to speak the language of their choice,” says Naskret-Reyes.
With London’s population becoming increasingly diverse, these small points of connection can make a meaningful difference in the patient and visitor experience. According to census data from 2021, more than 56,000 individuals speak a language other than English or French at home. Stats also show more than 20,000 new immigrants moved to the London region between 2016 and 2021 and 22 per cent of Londoners identify as immigrants.
“Sometimes it is the smallest moments that have the biggest impact. Being able to greet someone in their own language or help them find their way makes them feel more comfortable and welcomed,” says Tracy Drenth, manager of Volunteer Services at St. Joseph’s.
The initiative is about more than translation. It is about helping people feel seen, understood and more at ease when they enter a hospital.
Volunteers can provide general information such as directions, locating services and finding the cafeteria or Tim Hortons – not for clinical information. For conversations that require interpretation, iPads equipped with language interpretation software in more than 200 languages are now available at Information Desks at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Parkwood Institute Main Building. Trained volunteers can use the devices to help patients and visitors connect with a live interpreter when their language is not represented by a volunteer.
“Some clinical areas at St. Joseph’s Hospital have iPads to support patients who speak another language,” says Drenth. “These new tools now provide support at the front door, helping those patients and visitors navigate the hospital and find their way to their appointments more easily.”
For more information:
Teresinha Medeiros, communication consultant
St Joseph’s Health Care London
519 646-6100 ext 64646 | Cell: 226-219-8885
Teresinha.Medeiros@sjhc.london.on.ca
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