Interpreters: Who They Are & What They Do
February 9, 2011 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.The United States is the home to millions of immigrants, many of whom do not speak English or have a limited ability with the language. Consequently, an interpreter has come to be of great importance, especially in the legal aspect of a person’s life. It is not only important that an interpreter be available for a non-English speaker, but that this interpreter be as accurate as possible. There is a difference when an individual is informed during an interview: “you can leave at ANY time during this interview” and then have the interpreter translate as: “you can leave AFTER the interview is done”. It seems like an insignificant difference; yet, you can see that from the beginning of this interrogation this person was not given the accurate information, possibly causing him additional problems. The Minnesota Judicial Branch maintains a list of Certified and Non-Certified Interpreters, who are available to be hired by the courts and the public. The court system helps coordinate testing and training of interpreters; as well as, oversees the implementation of policies to ensure that these individuals have completed the minimum requirements. If you need the assistance of an interpreter you can start your search at the Minnesota Judicial Branch website. When you have found an individual that seems to…
Read MoreGood News for the Migraine Sufferer
February 1, 2011 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.If you have ever experienced a migraine, you know how debilitating it can be and that it is not, in any way, like a normal headache. A migraine occurs when swollen blood vessels around the brain press on nearby nerves, causing intense pulsing or throbbing pain. Migraine headaches affect approximately 12{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of Americans, typically in the range of 25 – 55 years of age. Women are three times more likely to experience migraines. Stress, diet, and hormonal change can trigger migraines. Migraines can also develop as the result of trauma when involved in an automobile accident. The migraine headache is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness and intense sensitivity to light and noise. Some individuals will also experience an “aura”. During ancient times, the Greeks and Romans used peppermint tea and also drank infusions made from chamomile, rosemary and lavender. They also applied raw potato, cabbage and onion to attempt to relieve the pain. In more recent times, treatment has consisted of prescribed medications, including Imitrex and Relpax once the migraine surfaces; and daily medications such as Topamax. Unfortunately, many migraines occur without warning and migraine sufferers do not always improve with these medications. The F.D.A. has recently approved Botox as a method to treat chronic migraine headaches in adults. Patients with a…
Read MoreEmail and Private Health Information
January 26, 2011 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.A Minnesota man left the snow-filled streets of Minneapolis for a vacation in Puerto Rico. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick email. Unfortunately, when typing her address, he missed one letter, and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher’s wife whose husband had passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her email, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen; Dearest Wife, Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow. P.S. Sure is hot down here This is an old tale reminding us of the importance of email accuracy and security. While electronic mail has become second-nature to most of us, we should strive to be more aware of private issues being transmitted over the internet. This is especially important when requesting and transmitting a client’s protected health information (PHI) for review. The requirement to protect the privacy of PHI extends to electronic transmission of PHI between two parties, such as an…
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