Equitable Care: Why Work with Deaf Interpreters?

Meet our Presenters:

Donna Guardino, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Gallaudet University. Dr. Guardino’s dissertation examined Deaf interpreters’ well-being in medical settings, aiming to address cross-cultural and cross-linguistic barriers in healthcare. Her work earned her a Dean’s Teaching Fellowship at URMC, through which she developed Deaf-ACCESS, a training initiative advancing equitable cross-cultural communication and promoting effective utilization of Deaf-Hearing Interpreter (DI-HI) teams in healthcare through didactics and standardized patient simulations. Clinically, Dr. Guardino provides outpatient care to Deaf individuals with diverse linguistic backgrounds at the Deaf Wellness Center, incorporating Deaf Interpreters and DI-HI teams to facilitate effective and linguistically accessible individual and group therapy. 

Julayne Feilbach, MS is an ASL interpreter at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in Rochester, NY. She is a qualified mental health interpreter with a Master’s degree in Healthcare Interpreting from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.  In her current role, Julayne serves as a designated interpreter, teaming with a designated Deaf interpreter– for a weekly psychopharmacology clinic that serves deaf patients. Prior to her current position, she worked on a team of interpreters for several medical students during their clinical rotations, exposing her to the providers’ perspective of healthcare. The combination of her training and experiences led to her research on how the interpreting approaches of Deaf-hearing teams impact healthcare providers’ perceptions of their patients. Julayne mentors interpreting students and has been a guest presenter on DI-HI teaming for various institutions.

Joshua Mora, EdM is a Deaf Interpreter at University of Rochester Medical Center. He earned his Master of Education (EdM) in Language and Literacy Education from Boston University. As a Deaf Interpreter, he works on bridging communication between patients and healthcare providers to ensure equitable access and understanding. He supports patients in navigating complex medical information and advocates for their needs within clinical settings. Skilled in language assessment and evaluation, he collaborates closely with clinical teams to enhance patient-centered care and improve accessibility across healthcare settings. Committed to fostering inclusive environments where every deaf patient can feel heard, understood, and respected. Dedicated to mentoring novice Deaf Interpreters and supporting their growth through practical guidance, collaboration, and fostering skill development.

Full Workshop Description: 

Misconceptions about the role of Deaf Interpreters (DIs) among Deaf and hearing healthcare providers, hearing interpreters (HIs), Deaf interpreters (DI), and Deaf patients contribute to the underutilization of DI and DI-HI interpreting teams. This underuse compromises the ability to provide culturally responsive care to Deaf patients and hinders both the growth and retention of the DI field. This workshop presents preliminary findings from the presenters’ research on DIs and DI-HI interpreting teams in healthcare settings, clarifies common misconceptions, and highlights the benefits of DI involvement in the field. Drawing on common experiences from the Rochester community - home to several DIs - the session also offers individual and systemic strategies for Deaf and hearing healthcare providers, HIs, and DIs to collaborate and effectively integrate DIs in healthcare. During the second half of the workshop attendees (DI and HI) will break down in smaller groups and have the opportunity to actively practice teaming with each other in a mock environment with actors impersonating as deaf patients and providers. Attendees will have opportunities to debrief throughout the experience. 

After this workshop, participants will be able to: 

Participants will: 

• Be able to list at least three benefits of using Deaf Interpreters in various settings

• Be able to explain at least one interpreting approach that can increase session effectiveness with Deaf patients

• Identify at least two strategies providers and interpreters can incorporate to utilize or advocate for Deaf Interpreters in healthcare

• Begin to incorporate DI/HI teaming strategies into their interpreting practices

• Explain at least two strategies used in the decision-making process while teaming

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