Equity is one of five core values for Skagit Regional Health. This value states:

We are dedicated to ensuring delivery of a care environment where each individual has an opportunity to achieve their full potential.

For many of our patients, language can be a significant barrier. When patients don’t fully understand what is happening with their health, it limits their ability to ask questions, consider options and feel confident in their care plan. That’s where our Interpreter Services team plays a vital role. They help bridge communication gaps, ensuring patients and families clearly understand diagnoses, treatment options and next steps.

Our approach is intentional and comprehensive. Through in-person interpreters, video remote interpretation, over-the-phone translation services, multilingual print materials, website and text notifications, we provide consistent, reliable access to language support. This ensures that no matter where a patient enters our system—the emergency department, our hospitals, our clinics or through our website—they will be heard and understood.

When patients understand what is happening, they can actively participate in their own healthcare decisions, build trust with their care team and experience better outcomes. In this context, equity becomes personal: It’s about respect, dignity and giving every patient a voice. To us, equity means more than equal access, it means ensuring every patient has what they need. Equity is about removing barriers so that everyone fully participates in their own healthcare.

As we highlight the value of equity, we celebrate the teams who make it real every day, ensuring that understanding, compassion and access are at the heart of every patient interaction.

Angel Abbott, Regional Director of Patient Access and Interpreter Services, works each day to ensure that every patient at Skagit Regional Health has the language support needed to navigate their healthcare. This includes providing access to in‑person interpreters, video remote interpreting, and other essential resources. Watch the video below to see how the Interpreter Services team promotes equity through their every-day work.