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Provider Pulse Ep. 24: From Siberia to Harborview - Yuliya Speroff and the Art of Medical Interpreting (Part 2)
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In Part 2 of our conversation with Yuliya Speroff, Medical Interpreter Supervisor at Harborview Medical Center, we further explore the profound human work of medical interpretation. Yuliya pulls back the curtain on what interpreters witness every day—the cultural gaps, missed cues, unintended misunderstandings, and the invisible labor that makes cross-linguistic care possible.
We discuss the delicate balance interpreters in maintaining objectivity and accuracy while also acting as cultural brokers and advocates when necessary. We also explore how interpreters are uniquely positioned to provide insights into the patient experience.
Yuliya shares memorable stories illustrating when meaning is lost, how family members unintentionally censor information, and why even well-intended provider phrasing—like “hit it out of the park” or “we’ll keep you comfortable”—can fail across cultures.
The episode also examines some of the risks and promises of AI, ambient note-taking, and machine translation in clinical encounters. Yuliya outlines why even tiny translation errors can have catastrophic consequences, and why interpreters’ expertise is essential in validating new technologies before they become standard in patient care.
Other themes you’ll hear:
• Why idioms and cultural references are so difficult to interpret
• How power dynamics prevent interpreters from giving provider feedback
• What trainees and future physicians need to know about working with interpreters
• Why increasing diversity among clinicians improves communication for all patients
• Why human interpreters remain irreplaceable, even in an era of rapid AI advancement
You can find the Greek medical interpreter skits on the TikTok account of @yiannispac
Through humor, candor, and deep expertise, Yuliya shows that interpretation is not just word-for-word exchange between languages—it’s a practice of empathy, cultural insight, and relational care.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone who works with interpreters, cares for diverse patients, or is curious about the future of cross-cultural communication in healthcare.
Visit EthnoMed.org for additional resources. Follow us on YouTube and Instagram @EthnoMedUW
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By Dr. Duncan Reid, MD @ EthnoMed.orgSend us a text
In Part 2 of our conversation with Yuliya Speroff, Medical Interpreter Supervisor at Harborview Medical Center, we further explore the profound human work of medical interpretation. Yuliya pulls back the curtain on what interpreters witness every day—the cultural gaps, missed cues, unintended misunderstandings, and the invisible labor that makes cross-linguistic care possible.
We discuss the delicate balance interpreters in maintaining objectivity and accuracy while also acting as cultural brokers and advocates when necessary. We also explore how interpreters are uniquely positioned to provide insights into the patient experience.
Yuliya shares memorable stories illustrating when meaning is lost, how family members unintentionally censor information, and why even well-intended provider phrasing—like “hit it out of the park” or “we’ll keep you comfortable”—can fail across cultures.
The episode also examines some of the risks and promises of AI, ambient note-taking, and machine translation in clinical encounters. Yuliya outlines why even tiny translation errors can have catastrophic consequences, and why interpreters’ expertise is essential in validating new technologies before they become standard in patient care.
Other themes you’ll hear:
• Why idioms and cultural references are so difficult to interpret
• How power dynamics prevent interpreters from giving provider feedback
• What trainees and future physicians need to know about working with interpreters
• Why increasing diversity among clinicians improves communication for all patients
• Why human interpreters remain irreplaceable, even in an era of rapid AI advancement
You can find the Greek medical interpreter skits on the TikTok account of @yiannispac
Through humor, candor, and deep expertise, Yuliya shows that interpretation is not just word-for-word exchange between languages—it’s a practice of empathy, cultural insight, and relational care.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone who works with interpreters, cares for diverse patients, or is curious about the future of cross-cultural communication in healthcare.
Visit EthnoMed.org for additional resources. Follow us on YouTube and Instagram @EthnoMedUW