Immigrants
The Day After the Elections
Depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide–these are the very real side effects of Trump policies. My visit with Mr. A on the morning after the midterm elections seemed to crystallize all the bitterness of what has been unleashed in this country, and the effects it has on the people who suffer under it. More
Losing a Patient
He made his way into my exam room supported by two metal crutches that braced at the elbow, lurching his withered legs forward, step by excruciating step. He was a wisp of a man, barely clocking in at 100 lbs—wasted away, it looked like, from untreated polio and a lifetime of subsistence living. Yet somehow here he was in bustling Manhattan, having managed to navigate our bureaucratic hospital system just a few months after arriving from East Africa. More
The Immigrant Healthcare Imperative
Legalizing “undocumented” immigrants might be a boon for our healthcare system. Immigration reform makes both economic and medical sense. A young immigrant from Tibet offers first-hand lessons. More
Doctors Have Feelings Too
Doctors should be aware of emotions that may lead them to be less than honest with patients or reluctant to admit errors. More
Americans by Choice
“Enlightened citizenship is the everlasting strength of our democracy.” Inspiration from Andrew Carnegie. More
Meet Dr. Chan….
“Dr. Chan and Mrs. Geng eased out of their chairs in the waiting room using their matching wooden canes, the kind distributed by the hospital, free of charge. At 89, Dr. Chan was stooped and frail, his body paper-thin. He seemed as though he might topple over from the breeze generated by the opening and … More
Multiculturalism Lecture
Danielle’s lecture on multiculturalism in medicine–“Journeys With Our Patients.” More
Treating Patients When Language Is Only One of the Barriers
“A defective heart, a child detained by border guards — Julia Barquero had already had her struggles. But now her physician at Bellevue Hospital Center, Dr. Danielle Ofri, was trying to explain to Ms. Barquero that she could not receive a heart transplant because she was an illegal immigrant. More
At Bellevue, a hospital reflects a changing world
Though city hospitals invoke images of charity patients and substandard, last-resort medical care, the reality is quite different. More
Immigration and Health Care
Every time Jade backs into my tiny office, I am impressed. With a skill worthy of a New York taxi driver, she maneuvers her manual wheelchair in reverse into the sliver of space between the exam table and my desk in our crowded city clinic. More
NPR: Medical Translation
Danielle is featured on an NPR story about medical translation in hospitals. In this photo she is using a special “language phone” with two handsets. She and the patient can speak to each other directly, with a remote interpreter providing simultaneous translation. (photo from WNYC website). Listen here: More
Leonard Lopate Show WNYC
Listen to Danielle Ofri interviewed by Leonard Lopate on WNYC FM 93.9 about her book “Medicine in Translation” and the ins and outs of medical care in America today. More
New York Times review of “Medicine in Translation”
by Sam Roberts New York Times “When my immigrant grandmother contracted a contagious disease on her voyage to America from Eastern Europe, she was deposited in a London hospital, alone and unable to speak a word of English. Her story has evoked terror every time I have heard it. Imagine being afraid of medical treatment, … More
“Medicine in Translation” video trailer
Danielle Ofri’s book–“Medicine in Translation”–tackles two of the hottest button issues of our day: immigration and health care. “Timely, beautiful, and heartbreaking…” A memoir of medicine, family, immigration and culture. More
Found in Translation–excerpt from Audiobook
Listen to the the amusing story of one doctor navigating the world’s languages in a simple clinic session.  “Found in Translation” is an excerpt from audio book of “Medicine in Translation” More
