A Clearer Message: How Pocketalk Translations Resolved 75% of Health Re-screening Cases

Tina Rusak, the Nurse Care Coordinator for Gardner Public Schools in Massachusetts , understands that effective communication is the foundation of quality healthcare. Her role requires her to connect with students, parents, and staff from a wide range of backgrounds. In a district with a significant population of multilingual learners, this task is often made more challenging by language barriers. The district’s families speak a variety of languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Arabic.

The Challenge: Language Barriers Impede Health Screenings

Each year, Gardner Public Schools conducts mandatory vision and hearing screenings for all students. The process is a routine part of ensuring student health and well-being, but can be logistically challenging, with follow-up screenings and additional time out of class for students. This year, a considerable number of students, approximately 30, were asked to return for a follow-up screening with Tina because they were unable to provide accurate responses during the initial test.

The Solution: Immediate Language Translations

Fortunately, Pocketalk is used throughout Garner Public Schools, with each building having at least two or three devices. Tina used Pocketalk to rescreen the students who had failed their initial vision tests and over 75% of the students passed the second time.

Using the device, Tina could quickly communicate in each student’s language. She was able to translate instructions and confirm understanding, ensuring students who truly needed an eye exam were identified. “Many students didn’t pass the first time because they didn’t understand what they were supposed to do,” Tina explained.

Traditionally, students who fail the initial screening are referred for a full eye exam with a physician. That means:

• missed class time
• taking time off work for parents
• and often unnecessary costs which would be particularly difficult for families in Gardner’s largely low-income community

“You don’t want to send a child for a complete eye exam unless you really need to,” Tina said. “With Pocketalk, I was able to determine which students really needed to get an eye exam and which students simply didn’t understand,” Tina explained. This success story highlights a crucial lesson: language access is fundamental to every aspect of education, not just the classroom.

Built with Accuracy and Security

Before Pocketalk, teachers often relied on other students to translate, raising concerns about confidentiality and accuracy. In other cases, they would use a phone service which was slow and costly. Pocketalk makes connecting with students and families easy. “It’s simplistic and easy to operate, rather than using Google Translate on your phone,” Tina said.

One feature that stood out to Tina was its performance with Haitian Creole, a language common in Gardner due to a growing refugee population. Pocketalk recently introduced its first proprietary language model for Haitian Creole. This was a breakthrough for a “living language” that evolves rapidly and can be difficult for an engine to translate. This advancement helps meet the growing demand for accurate, real-time conversations with Haitian immigrants in the United States.

Creating an Inclusive School Environment

This year, Tina plans to continue using Pocketalk during the initial screening window and train all school nurses on best practices for using the device. “I want the nurses to see how easy it is,” she said. “It’s HIPAA-compliant, and it helps us make sure students get the care they really need without wasting any time”. From nurses to teachers, providing staff with the ability to communicate directly with students and families in their native language has ensured that everyone can be understood. Pocketalk is helping Gardner Public Schools create a more inclusive, supportive, and effective environment for every student.