August 7, 2000

The MGH is aware that many employees at the hospital want to learn and sometimes need to learn a second language for their jobs. The MGH has created two programs to address this need – one in English and the other in Spanish.

The English program – supported by the MGH in partnership with the Jewish Vocational Services – is better known as the Workplace Education Program and recently held its fifth Celebration of Achievement ceremony. This celebration recognizes MGHers who have completed one level of the program. The majority of those who attend the Workplace Education Program are support service staff who hale from other countries and are new to the English language or have lived in the United States for many years, but never have had the opportunity to take an English class. During the ceremony, students of the program read essays they prepared in English. In one of the essays, Terezinha Barbosa of Environmental Services said: "I'm very happy to have this opportunity to come to English classes. The MGH gives all its employees a chance to go to classes, and I really appreciate it."

Jim Ward, who is the lead teacher, says that the program has two main goals: to help MGHers do their jobs better and to help people achieve their personal goals.

More than 60 attendees received certificates at the program's ceremony. James J. Mongan, MD, president of the MGH, was the keynote speaker and commended the participants for "taking time out of their busy jobs at the MGH to strengthen their English skills."

More than 50 MGH employees recently completed the Spanish for Healthcare Program, supported by MGH Human Resources, Partners Corporate Training and the MGH Chelsea and Charlestown HealthCare centers. "We provided the program to enhance our employees" knowledge about culture and language says Claire Conlan of MGH Charlestown. "We wanted to teach employees common Spanish phrases and help them feel more comfortable with patients from other countries,"

At MGH Charlestown, 15 MGHers recently graduated from the Spanish course. Each graduate received a certificate and celebrated this achievement at a reception June 23. In the fall, the Spanish program will continue. "The course allows for communication and the opportunity to break down cultural barriers. It makes both the employees and the patients more comfortable," says Conlan.