Salinas Hospital trains interpreters to serve immigrant population

Dr. Peter Chandler, Language Access Coordinator Victor Sosa, patient Petra Leon and interpreter Angelica Isidro go through a language relay from English, to Spanish, to Mixteco and back again. )

In the Salinas Valley, small farm towns like Soledad and Greenfield dot Highway 101. Most farmworkers here are from Mexico, and an increasing number are indigenous people from Oaxaca and other Mexican states.

In the Salinas Valley, small farm towns like Soledad and Greenfield dot Highway 101. Most farmworkers here are from Mexico, and an increasing number are indigenous people from Oaxaca and other Mexican states.

In fact, almost one quarter of all indigenous Mexicans in California live in this region. They speak languages like Mixteco, Zapoteco, and Triqui. If they speak Spanish at all it's as a second language. That can create complex language barriers in work, school, and healthcare.

The California Report's Lisa Morehouse visited one hospital in Salinas that's trying to do something about it.

Salinas Hospital Trains Interpreters to Serve Immigrant Population by