Communication Assistance

Please make sure our employees are aware if you have vision or hearing problems, do not speak English or have other special needs. UPMC Hamot has special resources in place to assist those who need it.

Interpreter Services

UPMC Hamot offers free, interpreter services for our foreign-language speaking patients, through a specialized tele-language service. These dual-handset telephones offer instant interpretation services for over 170 languages 24-hours a day. The interpreters receive advanced health care training that emphasizes the critical nature of accurate and confidential interpretation.

Deaf/Hearing-Impaired Services

For our patients who are deaf or hearing-impaired, UPMC Hamot offers a variety of services to help with their stay.

• For those using sign language to communicate, we offer video-remote interpreting. This system provides registered and nationally –certified interpreters 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
• We also have assistive listening devices on-hand with headset/earpieces to amplify sounds, as well as hearing aid batteries and TTY (teletypewriter phones) with flashers to alert patients to incoming calls.

Blind/Low-Vision Patient Services

UPMC Hamot provides access to a wide range of adaptive equipment for patients, who suffer from low vision or blindness, including:

• Magnifying glasses to read
• Large-button/amplified telephones
• Audio clocks
• Large print magazines

Visual Aids

To assist patients with speaking problems, UPMC Hamot utilizes a pictorial Communication Board and Picture Menu.

• View Picture Menu (PDF)

Condition Help

We rely on our patients and their families to be our partners in care. Condition HELP is a dedicated phone line for patients and families to use.

If you see a noticeable or urgent clinical change in the patient’s condition, please call the nurse. If you still feel that you need assistance, dial Ext. 7300 from any in-house phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After the call is placed, a Condition HELP will be activated, and a clinician will quickly respond to your needs.

Other Specialized Services

At UPMC Hamot, we strive to make every patient comfortable while they are in our care. Please let any one of our staff members know if there is something you need to help make your experience an easier one.​