NEW YORK, NY February 08, 2008 —REPORTER: 4 city hospitals have increased their language services for non-English speakers with the help of immigrant advocate organizations.

Aida Torres, of Brooklyn, hopes improved access to interpreters will help bridge the language barrier in healthcare.

Torres brought her 35-year-old special needs daughter to the emergency room two years ago, with a burning fever.

She couldn't understand what doctors at Long Island College Hospital were saying.

TORRES: No encontraba...

CULLINANE: I don't speak English and the doctors don't speak Spanish, I had a difficult time communicating and I didn't know what was going on.

REPORTER: Sarah Cullinane of Make the Road by Walking, an immigrant rights group, translates.

Torres says a friend of hers took a day off from work to help her communicate with hospital staff.

When her daughter, Marangely needed an operation, Torres asked a cleaning woman at the hospital to check in with her after visiting hours ended.