Milwaukee Hospital Settles After Failing To Provide Sign Interpreter

MILWAUKEE, WI — After a deaf patient filed a claim against Milwaukee's Columbia St. Mary's Hospital for failing to receive proper sign language interpretation, the hospital on Monday agreed to a settlement, federal attorneys announced Thursday.

The patient was at first given an American Sign Language interpreter for her pre-operative discussions in 2017, but after the surgery, she was not furnished with such services despite several important consultations with medical staff that were critical to her recovery period, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Gregory Haanstad.

The settlement requires the hospital to pay $35,000 to the patient and requires it to conduct additional training on the ADA, the news release said.

Federal prosecutors said the lack of services was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires public accommodations take steps to ensure nobody with a disability is excluded, denied services, or treated differently, which includes requiring that auxiliary aids and services are given.

After the patients initial three-day hospital stay, she was re-admitted for complications like an infection, the news release said. Hospital staff ended up relying on the patient's mother or other services that were not effective, meaning the patient did not fully understand the nature and care of the decisions for her, according to the release.