JMHS Speaks Spanish

Meet interpreter and patient-access representative Cristela Gunderson, our go-to for Spanish-speaking patients.

Imagine the frustration of having a doctor who doesn’t speak your language. Johnson Memorial Health Services understands, and that’s why we offer Spanish-language translation services.

Cristela Gunderson, Patient Access Representative and Spanish Interpreter, is the heart of the service. She joined Johnson Memorial in November 2020. Within a few weeks, the Emergency Department (ED) needed her services for three Spanish-speaking patients who arrived simultaneously. “They were happy I was there,” says Gunderson. “I was bouncing from one room to the next.”

Gunderson learned Spanish as a child in Argentina and stayed immersed in the language when her parents moved to Southern California. When patients who struggle with English arrive at the clinic’s front desk or call, Cristela is the go-to person for Spanish.

The Johnson Memorial’s computer system also flags Spanish speakers, so they have translation services available the next time they visit the clinic. “On the days when I get to translate, it makes me feel accomplished and like I’ve helped somebody,” says Gunderson. “And they probably wouldn’t
have had such a pleasant experience if I wasn’t here.”