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

Useful Cultural News, Tips and Timely Information

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Court Interpretation Becomes a National Issue:

After receiving a complaint about the Alabama Court System, the United States Department of Justice is investigating whether Alabama courts are following federal civil rights law in providing interpreters for people who are not fluent in English.  Sparked by the disturbing revelation that a Spanish-speaking court interpreter had mis-insterpreted several key pieces of testimony during a capital murder trial,  the investigation seeks to determine if the courts are making federally required accommodations for people with limited English skills.  Alabama has already joined the 39 other states offering certification for court interpreters, and the results of the investigation will no doubt affect how the state provides language assistance for cases involving limited-English speakers.  Language Line Services, a leading interpretation and translation services company with one of the industry’s most recognized court certification programs, has long advocated for states to adopt a mandated certification standard for judicial interpreters. If this is a topic you’d like to explore, a Language Line Services executive is available to discuss certification for court interpreters and the pitfalls for court systems that don’t require a minimum standard. Contact Jeanine Karp at 305.448.3754 or jeanine.karp@rbbpr.com for more information or to arrange interviews.

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New study shows that physicians face difficulty in communicating with limited-English proficient (LEP) patients:

A recent study featured in the journal Health Services Research found that two-thirds of physicians who treat breast cancer patients reportedly did not have access to a quality interpreter when they needed it, despite limited access to trained medical interpreters and telephone language-interpretation systems.  Survey respondents were located in the Los Angeles area, where 27 percent of residents are (LEP).  Language Line Services, the leading provider of language assistance services, and the International Medical Interpreters Association recently launched the first National Certification for Medical Interpreters, whereby professional interpreters working in the medical field will have the opportunity to be tested and credentialed as “Certified Medical Interpreter” (CMI), ensuring that interpreters will have achieved a standardized level of training and skill to handle medical calls.  Additionally, Language Line Services works with hospitals, doctors, and medical organizations around the world to provide limited-English speakers with language assistance when working with their physicians.  A Language Line Services representative is available to discuss how the company is working towards medical interpreter certification, and what steps medical institutions can take to provide language assistance to their patients at all times.  For more information, please contact Julie Jimenez at 305.461.5794 or julie.jimenez@rbbpr.com. 

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Language Access Education Effort Underway:

Earlier this month, The Joint Commission and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights released a video, titled “Improving Patient-Provider Communication,” which identifies tools that health care organizations can use to build effective language access programs. The video is designed to help health care organizations determine the best methods of care for meeting the communication needs of limited English proficient (LEP) and deaf/hard-of-hearing patients. The U.S. population includes more than 28 million people with hearing loss, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimate, and approximately 47 million people who speak a language other than English (U.S. Census Bureau data), making language access a national issue. Language Line Services offers interpretation and translation services in over 175 languages and works throughout the health care field to facilitate doctor-patient communication through its phone and video-based systems. For more information about language access best practices or to set up interviews with a Language Line Services representative, contact Shawn Yanan at 305.962.1768 or 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, telecommunications, manufacturing, insurance, entertainment, travel, and more. For information on how Language Line Services is helping clients achieve their strategic multicultural marketing and regulatory compliance objectives, please call 1-800-752-6096.