Welcome to Connect,Toni Iacolucci @toniann. I am a hearing person, and I live in a community where we have a very active deaf/hard of hearing population.
I have friends who are hoh/deaf, and friends who are interpreters. From what I have picked up through interactions, is that there is a real need for the work that you are doing to promote an education to the medical staff and hospitals about the need for effetive communication to the hoh/deaf patients and family members. Thank you for what you are doing.

I feel that many of the hearing population do not realize the importance of having an interpreter for public events. Where I live, there is usually a 'tag' to request interpreter, or "Interprter provided" message. However, that is not always true outside of this community.

A deaf gentleman at my church, taught me the the ASL (American Sign Language) sign for the word PEACE. As an organ transplant recipient, it helps me avoid handshake germs.