Interpreter Services SF - Cathy Marsili

UCSF Interpreting Services has allowed me to be in many places--in the clinics, at bedside, and now also via TeleHealth-- to serve our community. The community that we serve is diverse, and we interpreters have an immediate impact on patient safety as we work to improve health equity in our daily encounters.  

Before I came to UCSF, I interpreted for other hospitals, clinics, courts, banks, insurance companies, and government agencies. Some memorable moments were military officers speaking with captains of ships, or "IT guys" needing to troubleshoot with corporations abroad. Once I interpreted at a horse racetrack for jockeys accused of cheating. I've interpreted thousands of 911 calls-- many of them unremarkable but some not--telling a man his house was surrounded and to come out with his hands up was definitely memorable.  I enjoyed the wide variety of subject matter outside of the healthcare field, and I think it helped make me a better interpreter over the years. But my heart was always in the medical field, and being a medical interpreter is the most rewarding role for me. It is always challenging, and the learning never ends.  

Being a medical interpreter as part of the healthcare team means that you often help people as they live through challenging life moments.  I have countless memories of moments where I felt interpretation made a true difference. Some of them come to mind immediately:  

--I remember an elderly woman who started to cry as she spontaneously told a technologist about the abuse she was suffering at home.  

--I remember a terminally ill man who told a chaplain about something painful he had done in his life that he still regretted.  

--I remember a young man who was a transplant candidate who was able to effectively clarify and explain a complicated social history to his social worker that had, until then, been a barrier to transplant.  

--I remember parents expressing how they wanted to spend difficult final moments with their babies in ways that were meaningful to them, and were able to communicate these heartfelt wishes to the spiritual care team.  

--I remember all of the patients and providers who say "Thank you so much for interpreting for me!"  

Being a close partner on the healthcare team allows us to advocate and serve our limited-English proficient patients more effectively.  It is a true pleasure to help facilitate communication and I am immensely grateful to be part of the UCSF community.