Intermountain Health opens kidney transplant clinic catering to Spanish speakers

Salt Lake City-based healthcare company Intermountain Health has opened the first clinic of its kind in the Intermountain West that is designed specifically to support Spanish-speaking patients undergoing kidney transplantation. The new Intermountain Clinica Hispana de Riñon at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray offers culturally comprehensive care, where providers address patients in their native language and are trained to support patients’ cultural needs and educational styles.

Pre-transplant patients receive education and evaluation by all providers in Spanish, including meeting with bilingual providers in nephrology, surgery, social work, coordination, finance and nutrition.

“Programs like this are quite rare in the United States,” said Dr. Ivan Zendejas, an Intermountain Health transplant surgeon. “We are happy to offer this muchneeded service to our patients.”

“Our vision for the clinic is to help bridge the gap between the medical community and the Latino community and help our patients feel more comfortable when trying to maneuver the complicated transplant world,” said Dr. Alan Contreras, transplant surgeon for Intermountain Health’s abdominal transplant program at Intermountain Medical Center.

Patients who receive medical information in their preferred language are more likely to understand and participate fully in decisions about their care, according to research cited by Intermountain. Intermountain Health Transplant Services caregivers spearheaded this project, recognizing there are many misconceptions about transplantation and the donation process in Spanish-speaking communities and that some information may get lost in translation.

“Patients have told me they can finally understand their healthcare,” said Anna Petersen, physician associate for Intermountain Health. “They also tell me they feel empowered because they and their family totally understand what is happening with their transplant.”

“Receiving information about my surgery in my native language, gave me so much confidence,” said Luis Campos, a liver and kidney transplant patient. “All my questions were answered, I was reassured, and my mind was put at ease.”

Intermountain Health Transplant Services also offers a clinic for Spanish- speaking patients post-transplant where they meet with a nephrology provider and pharmacist who speak with them in their native language to help complete a successful transplant journey.