The Parc Taulí Healthcare Corporation Consortium (CCSPT) works to strengthen the knowledge and use of Catalan in the healthcare field to guarantee quality healthcare that is safe and respectful of the linguistic rights of our citizens.
That is why, from the People Area of Parc Taulí and within the framework of the Language Management Plan, the Language Pairs Program for CCSPT professionals was launched last November. This is one of the thirteen actions contemplated by the project. A proposal to meet different colleagues from different professional profiles, sharing pleasant moments and increasing the use of Catalan in our healthcare environment in a natural and enjoyable way.
The two people responsible for the Program, Andrea Sánchez, coordinator of Attraction and Selection and Linguistic Reference, and Cristina Hernández, made a selection of couples looking for affinities, who could work in the same service; time availability.
"We have monitored the project. At the beginning to check that everything was starting well; towards the middle, to make sure that the expectations of the people participating are being met. And, we will make a final assessment. Although the feedback we are receiving from the couples is very positive. And we have a waiting list for the 2nd edition of the project”, explains Andrea Sánchez.
Parc Taulí had already taken other actions to encourage the use of Catalan among professionals, because ""Language is a tool for care and quality of care. People who come to our center have linguistic rights. Using Catalan among patients and their families in a situation of vulnerability improves the quality of care.", assures the person responsible for the language pairs program.
The program includes a minimum of 10 annual one-hour sessions to obtain a certificate of participation, which is recognized as merit in selection processes, as well as in professional development itineraries.
One of the language pairs is Cristina Tena, a volunteer and nurse in the Emergency Department, and Marta Goodarzi, a trainee and nurse on the 8th floor. Cristina decided to sign up as a volunteer because “promote Catalan among colleagues who are from outside, encourage its use and help colleagues who are newcomers, who are from outside and have more difficulty speaking Catalan with other people”. For her part, Marta has been living in Catalonia for two years and from the beginning she considered it necessary to learn Catalan because “itPeople who come to the hospital should be able to communicate in their own language. I decided to learn Catalan for myself, because I want to live in Catalonia, and to improve the experience of patients and their families in difficult times. Speaking their language reassures them and builds confidence.".
Adrià Asensi, a language volunteer and physician in the Pathological Anatomy service, and Dr. Juan Pablo Trujillo, a trainee and doctor at the Genomic Medicine Center, are one of the other couples who have formed in Parc Taulí. Adrià agrees with Cristina Tena that “it is important to promote Catalan” and “to give this impetus I signed up for the program to help people who do not have the ability to express themselves and encourage them to use it regularly.” By Dr. Trujillo “It is important to speak Catalan to have better cultural integration and improve patient communication by speaking their language.".
Both Marta and Juan Pablo agree that these linguistic meetings have helped them improve their oral expression and gain confidence when speaking Catalan with patients and their families. And they ask that they not change them to Spanish if they see that they are having difficulties and that they correct them if they have a word that is not right because it helps them consolidate their vocabulary and language.
The Language Pairs program is a complementary action to the different options available to professionals from the Parc Taulí Healthcare Corporation Consortium, such as Prescribe Catalan for yourself, an initiative promoted by the Department of Health to improve linguistic skills in Catalan or the courses of the Consortium for Linguistic Normalization.
