TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KTVB/AP) - More emergency room patients in southern Idaho have the chance to describe their symptoms in their native language - even if they only speak Farsi - through a pilot program by St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center.

The Times-News reports that the hospital has expanded its remote translation service in Ketchum and Twin Falls. The service is also available to patients in Jerome.

Under the program, patients and doctors use a device that looks like a laptop to communicate using interpreters at a remote call center. Video translation is available for 31 languages and audio-only translation services is available for 169 more.

Nurse Malena Rodriguez says the translator gets used at least once a day as the area's non-English-speaking population continues to grow.

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