PeaceHealth settles over ADA violations after Vancouver hospital failed to provide sign language interpreter

Vancouver’s PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide a sign language interpreter for a deaf patient.

PeaceHealth will pay a $75,000 fine to the patient, who was hospitalized in March 2020. It will also pay the Department of Justice $10,000 for violating the ADA, the department announced Thursday.

The settlement also requires the facility to improve its services, staff training and communication with the public, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

“Ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is a top priority of our Civil Rights Unit — and that is critically important in the health care setting,” U.S. Attorney Tessa Gormam said in the news release. “When facing hospitalization and treatment, every patient deserves clear communication about their course of treatment. This settlement seeks to ensure effective communication for each patient.”

According to the settlement, PeaceHealth violated the ADA by failing to present a sign language interpreter for the patient, which caused emotional distress. The patient was unable to understand the reason for her hospitalization or treatment course. Other patients who needed sign language interpreters were also denied.

Under the agreement, hospital staff will now assess a patient’s communications needs and the needs of the patient’s companion. PeaceHealth will also designate members of staff as a communication resource, who will be responsible for knowing about assistive devices and how to arrange for a sign language interpreter. PeaceHealth cannot charge for these services, the news release states.

PeaceHealth has agreed to post information about assistive devices and services in the facility and on its website, and it will provide a compliance report to the U.S. Attorney’s office every six months. It must also report any complaint about effective communication within 45 days, the justice department said.