Language Line Services' - Cross-Cultural Update for August 2009

Useful Cultural News, Tips and Timely Information

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There’s No Debating Language Barriers in Healthcare Reform:

In the heated debates over health care reform there is one voice that has been noticeably absent and under represented by congress – the limited-English proficient patient. One of the most medically underserved communities in the United States, misdiagnosis of limited-English speaking patients resulting from miscommunications due to language barriers creates billions of dollars of preventable healthcare costs.  A representative from leading interpretation company language Line Services is available to explore why none of the current rhetoric on healthcare reform and cost containment mentions language access, and how a hospital’s small investment in medical interpretation can pay for itself by preventing millions of dollars of waste. Contact Jeanine Karp at 305.448.3754 or jeanine.karp@rbbpr.com for more information or to arrange interviews.

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National Healthcare Fight a WakeUp Call for Hospital Communications Protocols:

As Congress and the President start to reconcile the competing healthcare bills in the House and the Senate, hospitals across the country should begin taking steps to inform their local markets about service availabilities and familiarize residents with hospital offerings.  Regardless of whether the final healthcare bill includes language requiring translation services for limited-English proficient (LEP) individuals, any version of a public insurance option will result in a massive influx of new beneficiaries to America’s healthcare system, many of whom will be limited-English speakers. Consider that three out of every five Hispanics in the U.S. are uninsured,and that only half of the 35 million Hispanics who speak Spanish at home also speak English “very well.”  Many hospitals and health clinics across the nation have partnered with organizations like Language Line Services, the leading provider of language-based services, to provide interpretation assistance to their LEP patients.  Language Line offers interpretation and translation services in over 175 languages, and works throughout the healthcare field to facilitate doctor-patient communication through its phone and video-based systems. Language Line also offers a demographics tracking service, LanguageTrak, which can help local health centers identify trends in their local communities’ demographics to enable effective targeting of niche communities.  Just as the federal government will surely initiate a broad communications campaign to inform LEPs of their new insurance coverage, hospitals should be reaching out to them now, letting them know that medical care is available in their language. For more information about the availability and importance of in-language communication with LEP patients, or to set up interviews with a Language Line representative, contact John Prieur at 305.717.8128 or john.prieur@rbbpr.com.

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Courts continue to see increased need for language assistance:

Reports coming out of metropolitan areas like Baltimore and Nashville are noting an increased need for interpreters in the courtrooms, with Tenessee reporting that it only has 50 certified Spanish interpreters working with the judicial system.  Although Spanish is still the most requested, cities are seeing an increased need for interpreters speaking Asian, Middle Eastern and African languages, with Nashville serving as a perfect example considering the city boasts the nation’s largest Kurdish population.  While courts struggle to keep up with the increased needs, over the phone interpreters offer an alternative option to the costs associated with bringing an interpreter into the courtroom.  Language Line Services, the leading provider of language services, works with hundreds of courts across the United States to ensure limited-English speaking plaintiffs and defendants receive the language assistance they need.  A representative is available to discuss how state and city judicial systems can address the growing need for interpreter assistance, and for more information please contact Julie Jimenez at 305.461.5794 or julie.jimenez@rbbpr.com.

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Can the government take a woman's baby because the mother doesn't speak English?

According to a recent TIME Magazine story, that surprising question is the latest in the ongoing national debate over illegal immigration.  The issue stems from a case being heard  in a Mississippi courthouse, where an undocumented woman from impoverished rural Mexico — who speaks only an obscure indigenous language — fights to regain custody of her infant daughter after the Department of Human Services (DHS) ruled she was an unfit mother in part because her lack of English.  Despite DHS statements to the contrary, language seems a central issue in this case, along with a couple of other recent cases from Tennessee and California.  It is suspected that a lack of interpreters is a key factor.  With the increasing number of limited-English speakers in the U.S., courts and government agencies are struggling meet the language needs of investigations and proceedings. It is often impossible to have staff on board to meet these needs, and thus many institutions rely on over-the-phone or video interpretation services.   Language Line Services is the leading interpretation provider for courtrooms and government agencies throughout the U.S.  A representative is available to discuss language access protocols, rights, and the steps some courts are taking to overcome the language barrier. For more information, contact Christine de la Huerta at 305.448.7535 or christine.delahuerta@rbbpr.com

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Quality Improvement for Language Access:

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) recently launched the Aligning Forces for Quality: Language Quality Improvement Collaborative (Language QI Collaborative) to identify and test strategies for hospitals to provide timely, effective language services to patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). The Language QI Collaborative is based on the Foundation’s Speaking Together: National Language Services Network legacy program, which was able to increase by nearly 20 percent the number of LEP patients who received needed language services at hospitals participating in the pilot. A representative of Language Line Services, the leading provider of interpretation services to thousands of health care institutions across the country, is available to discuss both the best practices that many hospitals currently apply and the areas of improvement that may be impacted by the Language QI Collaborative. In addition, Language Line Services has been a long-time proponent of national medical interpreter certification, which the company sees as an essential step in providing truly equitable and quality health care for LEP patients. For more information on this issue or to schedule an interview, contact Shawn Yanan at 305.962.1768 or at shawn.yanan@rbbpr.com.

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ABOUT LANGUAGE LINE SERVICES

Language Line Services, the world’s leading provider of language-based services, is a trusted partner to thousands of organizations whose focus is to effectively serve the rapidly expanding market of limited English speakers. The company delivers a dynamic suite of solutions spanning translation, transcription, phone and video interpretation, interpreter certification, localization and localized software and devices, enabling clients to communicate with customers in their preferred language. Through its leading-edge technology infrastructure, Language Line Services provides support for more than 170 languages to its industry-leading portfolio of clients across markets including health care, financial services, government, telecom, manufacturing, insurance, entertainment, travel, and more. For information on how Language Line Services is helping clients achieve their strategic multi-cultural marketing and regulatory compliance objectives, please call 1-800-752-6096.