MultiCare Health Systems in Washington has agreed to alter its procedures and allocate over $2 million to compensate patients whose civil rights were compromised due to inadequate interpreter services. This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman following an investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The inquiry revealed that two deaf-blind patients did not receive proper interpreter services before and after their surgeries. As part of the settlement, each patient will be compensated with $100,000, while their family members who had to act as interpreters will receive $40,000 each.
“This settlement with MultiCare not only compensates those whose rights were violated, it also ensures better care in the future for patients who are deaf and deaf-blind,” stated U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. She added that MultiCare is appointing a dedicated person responsible for providing assistive devices and ensuring effective communication through three interpreter firms.
The settlement requires MultiCare to train employees on assessing and meeting communication needs of deaf or deaf-blind patients. Information regarding interpreter services must be available on its website and handbook. The agreement will last for three years, with reports submitted every four months to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and HHS detailing requests for assistive devices or interpreters.
The investigation began in 2020 when a complaint was filed about a deaf-blind patient not receiving adequate communication assistance at several appointments before and after surgery. During this time, another similar case emerged involving another deaf-blind patient facing similar issues.
While MultiCare does not admit fault, it acknowledges potential additional violations under the ADA affecting other patients. To address this, a $2 million fund will be established alongside a third-party claims administrator tasked with distributing funds based on harm suffered by complainants. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will review these allocations post-claim submission.
Besides claimant settlements, MultiCare will pay $95,000 to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This marks the eighth such settlement in recent years concerning inadequate interpreter services within healthcare settings investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office against institutions like PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, University of Washington Medical Center – Northwest (UWMC-NW) in Seattle, and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington (KFHPW).
Assistant United States Attorneys Susan Kas and Matt Waldrop led the investigation and negotiation process for this settlement.
For more information about civil rights work by the office: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/civil-rights