Video released: CentraCare, Legal Aid explain plan for VRI improvements

Woman in white shirt and tan blazer at lectern speaks while a woman in black sweater and black pants stands next to her uses American Sign Language to interpret her remarks

In this Jan. 27 meeting video, representatives of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and CentraCare explain issues and the plan of action to improve the hospital’s Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) system.

Shortcomings of the VRI system — used by patients who are deaf or hard of hearing — were first brought to Legal Aid’s Minnesota Disability Law Center in 2017. A memorandum of understanding was reached in November of 2024.

Attorneys Sonja Peterson and Rick Macpherson (ret.) present on behalf of Legal Aid; General Counsel Santos Cruz represents on behalf of CentraCare.