Retired Long Island teacher helping Huntington Hospital staff learn Spanish for free
Retired Long Island high school teacher Kathleen Fristensky's work in education is continuing at a local hospital.
Fristensky, a former Spanish teacher at Cold Spring Harbor High School, is now a volunteer, giving lessons to Huntington Hospital health care workers to help them communicate better with patients.
Huntington Hospital Spanish classes
Hospital workers are signing up in droves for the free Spanish classes in an effort to help people in the operating room, emergency department and beyond.
"Sometimes, just to be able to say 'Hola, hablo un poco Espanol,' and just try to help them," said Laura DeAngelis, who works in hospitality services and is taking the Spanish class.
Staffers are crowding into the weekly classes taught by Fristensky, who found her next calling while volunteering at the front desk.
"We have a tremendous clientele that comes where they're español hablante, they're Spanish speakers, and a lot of people were struggling to communicate with them," Fristensky said.
When hospital staff members can't leave their posts, they join the classes remotely.
"It's completely blown up. We've had about 225 people who signed up for the class," said Elizabeth Herman from Huntington Hospital.
Why hospital workers are learning Spanish
The class is fully immersive to mirror what happens in the hospital.
"The patient is not going to say 'Uno momento, hablo espanol?' No. They're going to be off the cuff. So it's getting them speaking and understanding," Fristensky told her class during a recent session.
Huntington Hospital officials say it's more than an act of kindness and that there are therapeutic benefits to being able to communicate with patients and visitors in their own language.
"It helps understand the nuances of an illness and likewise the nuances of explaining adherence to medication or follow up plans," said Dr. Nick Fitterman, president of Huntington Hospital.
There are companies that teach Spanish in medical settings. But the hospital's organic program is unique. She said learning should be fun at any age.
"I've never taught a class of every single student wants to learn so much so, to me, I'm in heaven," Fristensky said.
Fristensky has volunteered more than 400 hours at Huntington Hospital so far.
