People of MSK: Creating Belonging through Language
At Memorial Sloan Kettering, we recognize that our patients and families come from diverse backgrounds and speak a variety of languages. We also understand that not everyone is able to communicate in the same way. The Language Assistance Program at MSK provides translation services for any language, including sign language, 24 hours a day and can assist our patients in person, video or by telephone.
Join us as we celebrate International Translation Day and the exceptional professionals who bring compassion and patient empowerment to their work each day as communicators across the Center.
Meet some of the friendly faces making an impact for our patients, each day at MSK.
Ossama Khalil, Interpreter (Arabic)
What impact do you bring to MSK in your role:
“I devote my skills, knowledge, and credentials in the Arabic language and Arabian culture to ease communications between parents, caregivers, and the MSK medical staff. In many of my assignments, patients say that the professional interpretation service at MSK was one of the big elements in there decision to get their cancer treatment at MSK. Professional medical interpretation has been greatly appreciated by medical providers at MSK. That where I feel grateful to my work at MSK.”
Image of Ossama Khalil, Interpreter
Image of Wai “Power” Sun, Interpreter
Wai “Power” Sun, Interpreter (Mandarin & Cantonese)
“The most rewarding part of my work at MSK is that the patients are grateful for our service because they are then empowered to make well informed medical decisions.”
Anisia Karabilgin, Interpreter (Spanish)
"Seeing the appreciation, graciousness and strength of so many patients is rewarding. They are inspiring, they are the reason I love coming to work every day.”
Image of Anisia Karabilgin, Interpreter
Image of Natalia Montclare, Interpreter
Natalia Montclare, Interpreter (Russian)
"The Impact I have in my role is providing a quality communication between the patients, their families and the MSK providers using my knowledge and experience The joy of delivering good news to the patients as a result of their effective treatment is extremely rewarding.”
Patricia Moreno, Training and QA Specialist for the LAP, Spanish Interpretation and Translation
“My goal in every role I have is to create a connection between MSK and the patients in our service (LEP, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Vision Impaired) as well as their caregivers. To that end, I bring the following qualities to my job every day: resilience, love, grace, compassion, commitment to flexibility, the role of the educator (someone who can see the long term impact while dealing with short term reality), the analytical mind and thoughtfulness of the sociolinguist, the pragmatism of the project manager. My impact at MSK in the 12-13 years has been: a pivotal role in increasing our hospital’s understanding of the cultural and linguistic needs of the LEP patients, improving the processes of provision of our services, maintaining the high standards of our profession in the department. On a daily basis, when I am an interpreter in the field, my impact is to make sure that the connection between the clinician and the patient is coherent and integral, such that not only do the words flow between the two groups, but that the emotions, hesitations, doubts, joy, compassion, anxiety, etc are also communicated; and that my presence is a healing, peaceful, kind, open one, to the point that my energy contributes to the greater good we do here at MSK.”
Image of Patricia Moreno, Training and QA Specialist for the LAP, Spanish Interpretation and Translation