Struggling with Hospitals?
~ Last Updated: December 2005

See list of hospitals at this link.

IHC Hospitals
          Doctors who have offices in hospitals are NOT employees of the hospital. Hospitals will provide interpreters. 

LDS Hospital (an IHC Hospital)
          Angela Outzen is the Language Program Coordinator at the LDS Hospital. She works for LDS Hospital and can arrange for a sign language interpreter in the hospital - but not for the doctors.
          Angela Outzen is on call between 7 am and 11 pm at the LDS Hospital on her pager. She will call back and if she determines that an interpreter is needed, will arrange for one. Dial 801 249 5468, pause for five seconds, enter your phone number and add *00 – she will call back by relay, and arrange for an interpreter to be present. Between 11 pm and 7 am, call InterWest directly for ER interpreting.
Angela Outzen
Phone: 408-1092
Cell: 249-5468
Email: angela.outzen@ihc.com

McKay-Dee Hospital (an IHC Hospital)
          Arlene Anderson is the language program coordinator.  She assists health care providers and patients who require interpreters for services given at this hospital. This service is not limited to sign language interpreters - it also includes Spanish, Vietnamese, French, and other foreign languages.
          If you are deaf/hard of hearing and will have a scheduled medical procedure (surgery, X-ray, ultrasound, etc) at the hospital, please inform the health care provider or Arlene Anderson that you need a sign language interpreter.  Email or call her and request a sign language interpreter as much in advance as possible; this will allow them time to schedule a sign language interpreter.  Provide information such as your name and contact information, the medical procedure, and the date and time.
Office 801-387-3179
Fax 801-387-3244
E-mail: arlene.a.anderson@ihc.com

University of Utah Hospital
          Lenna Habbeshaw is the Language Program Coordinator at the University of Utah Hospital. She can arrange for a sign language interpreter in the hospital - but not for the doctors.
Phone: 581-2200
Email: Lenna.Habbeshaw@hsc.utah.edu


          David Gessel, J.D. is an attorney for Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association. They maintain a website at this link.
          If you have a problem with ANY hospital, contact David Gessel. Give him the name of the hospital, the date of the problem and people you talked to at the hospital.
          Please tell David Gessel if you prefer to choose your own interpreter and choose your own interpreter agency and that you do NOT want hospitals to sign contracts with only one interpreter agency.
Cell phone: (801) 231- 3404
Email: dave@uha-utah.org


Note: Five hospitals in the Salt Lake area have a formal communication policy. McKay Dee in Ogden also has one.