Providence Health System – Southern California, which operates Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, has entered into a settlement with the United States, agreeing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by ensuring effective communication for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. The settlement resolves allegations that Providence failed to provide a qualified sign language interpreter or other appropriate assistance to an elderly deaf patient who went to the San Fernando Valley facility on four consecutive days for medical tests and procedures. The patient’s adult children had to take time off work — and one had to fly across the country — to interpret for the patient, including during consultations that included complex medical terms the patient’s children struggled to interpret. One of the patient’s children even had to wear a hairnet and surgical mask to interpret just before a procedure.
