ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced on Thursday that Finger Lakes Health Network is expanding its communication policy for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The new policy will provide training for staff and sign language interpreters to improve communication with deaf or hard of hearing patients and their families.
“Access to healthcare should be available to every New Yorker, regardless of a disability,” Schneiderman said. “My office is committed to ensuring that hospitals and other healthcare facilities provide effective communication, as required by law, so that people can understand what their doctors are telling them, and so they get the healthcare they need and deserve.”
More than 700,000 New Yorkers, including more than 60,000 Finger Lakes region residents, are deaf or hard of hearing.