Staff interpreters at UNC Hospitals have begun using the iPod Touch in the hopes that the technology will improve communication within the system.

Shane Rogers, director of Interpreter Services at UNC Hospitals, calls the previous pager system inefficient.

The interpreter staff switched from pagers to a cell phone system about five years ago. The phones were provided through a dispatch management service called ServiceHub. When the cellular service did not work as planned, Rogers decided to try something new.

Inspired by the recent WiFi installation in the hospitals, he discussed a deal with ServiceHub. The service responded by re-writing its software to fit the iPod Touch.

Thus far, the new wireless communication system has proven effective.

He says that the iPod Touch comes with a dictionary app for quick word references, and because of the speed at which technology advances, Rogers expects that by the time his two-year lease with ServiceHub is up, there will be an upgrade.