Within UW Health Facilities:

• Only interpreters who are deemed qualified by the UW Health Interpreter Services Department are authorized to interpret at UW Health. UW Health Interpreter Services provides interpreters free of charge for faculty within SMPH and/or recruiting UW Health patients within UW Health facilities. Interpreters may be in-person or via phone or video conferencing. To request an interpreter, contact Interpreter Services through one of the options listed here.
• UW Health allows communication without an interpreter only for personnel who are qualified as bilingual by the Manager of Interpreter Services (see UW Health Policy 3.3.4, Interpreter Services and/or Language Assistance for more information). UW Health bilingual personnel are not allowed to serve as interpreters for other staff.
• Written translations of long form consent documents and other subject-facing materials into Spanish may be arranged through Interpreter Services for a cost. Interpreter Services can provide a quote for translating documents.

When Not in UW Health Facilities or For Translations Other Than Spanish:

• For purchases of interpreter or translation services that will cost $5,000 or less on a study, investigators may use any vendor they choose and may pay for those services through a number of mechanisms (e.g., purchase order, P-card, direct pay).
• Purchases of services that will cost more than $5000 for a study require use of vendors contracted with the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA). DOA offers interpreters and translators that can be accessed by UW employees, including for medical-related interpretations and translations. These vendors may be used for purchases regardless of cost ($5000 or less, as well as more than $5000).
• Use of interpreters or translators for studies covered by HIPAA and that will include PHI must be subject to a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). Many DOA vendors have entered into BAAs. This information can be found on the “Vendor Information Sheets” as described below.

How to Find Translators and Interpreters Who Are Approved Vendors:

• The vendors listed here have contracted with UW-Madison for American Sign Language services, but many also offer interpreter and translation services for other languages. Because the UW contract is for American Sign Language, if used for languages other than ASL, these vendors may ONLY be used at this time for interpreter and translation purchases costing $5,000 or less.
• To find DOA contracted vendors, go to VendorNet, and click on “Contracts” at the top of the page. Using the “Keyword or Number” search function, search for “interpreter” or “translation.” This will yield lists of vendors categorized by in-person interpretations, telephone interpretations, video remote interpretations, or written language translations. After selecting the type of service you want (e.g., Telephone Interpretation Services), you will see a list of available vendors.
  • Review the Contract Applicable To information to ensure it can be used by UW System and its campuses.
  • Near the bottom of the page, there is a Documents section that includes a link for “Vendor Information Sheets”. This excel spreadsheet has a tab for each vendor, and provides specific information on how to access services, what languages are offered, whether there is a BAA in place, and whether medical and scientific interpretations or translations are available.
  • As noted above, because these are contracted vendors, they may be used for purchases regardless of cost ($5,000 or less, or more than $5,000).
• If you believe your purchase will exceed $5,000 and you wish to use a vendor not contracted for such services, contact a UW Procurement Specialist for assistance.

Vendor Agreements:

Any purchase orders or other written contacts with vendors, even for those listed above, must be signed by UW’s Purchasing Services. For questions, please contact a UW Procurement Specialist.