Question: "I have a friend with ... medical problem. There is a language barrier and they have trouble understanding what is going on. Can you as a doctor call the hospital directly and ask for the info rather than us going to get the records ourselves?"

Answer:
HIPPA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
As far as accessing the medical record: Any patient has the right to access to their own medical records. As a patient, you can request copies of any of your medical documents, and the hospital will give it to you at little or no additional charge. The only other people who have access to this information are people who are involved in direct clinical care. Nothing can be released from your medical file without your (the patient) written consent. HIPPA was designed for your protection. Therefore, I have no ability to get to your friends medical information, just because I am a doctor. However, your friend has every ability and right to get their own medical information.