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Deaf discrimination lawsuit costs hospital $25K - FierceHealthcare
As the second lawsuit of its kind that the hospital has faced in seven years, Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene (N.H.) agreed to pay a $25,000 fine to settle allegations that the hospital discriminated against deaf and hard-of-hearing patients, reports The Keene Sentinel. A deaf patient, Laura Waldren, visited the hospital three times in 2009 and requested for a sign-language interpreter for multiple visits, but none was available to her during her appointments, according to the article. The hospital now is reshaping its sign-language interpreter services.
"We agreed to this consent decree because we are committed to providing effective communications with our deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and we continue to focus on patient-centered excellence at the hospital," Sandra M. Phipps, senior director of development and communications, said, according to the Sentinel.
Similarly, in Iowa last month, Mercy Medical Center settled two lawsuits regarding limited sign language services for deaf patients
As the second lawsuit of its kind that the hospital has faced in seven years, Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene (N.H.) agreed to pay a $25,000 fine to settle allegations that the hospital discriminated against deaf and hard-of-hearing patients, reports The Keene Sentinel. A deaf patient, Laura Waldren, visited the hospital three times in 2009 and requested for a sign-language interpreter for multiple visits, but none was available to her during her appointments, according to the article. The hospital now is reshaping its sign-language interpreter services.
"We agreed to this consent decree because we are committed to providing effective communications with our deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and we continue to focus on patient-centered excellence at the hospital," Sandra M. Phipps, senior director of development and communications, said, according to the Sentinel.
Similarly, in Iowa last month, Mercy Medical Center settled two lawsuits regarding limited sign language services for deaf patients