New York State Hospitals Embrace Video Interpreting to Improve Access to Care For Deaf and Hearing Impaired Community

Language Line Services Helping Hospitals Comply with State Regulations with On-Demand Video Interpreters in American Sign Language

Monterey, CA — (June 11, 2008) —  Language Line Services, the leading provider of language interpreting services, is working with New York State hospitals to help them communicate with deaf and hearing impaired patients via its Language Line® Video Interpreter Service, providing quick connection to live, certified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters through a portable video monitor.

Since September 13, 2006, state regulations have required hospitals to provide interpreters for patients with hearing impairments within a set amount of time in order to ensure equal and meaningful access to medical care and services.

The criteria, outlined in Section 405.7 Patient’s Rights of Title 10 of the New York Code of Rules and Regulations (10NYCRR), calls for an interpreter to be available to meet inpatient and outpatient needs within 20 minutes of a request to the hospital by the patient or patient representative and within 10 minutes in the Emergency Department.

“The State of New York Department of Health has been very aggressive in ensuring that hospitals meet the needs of any patient who requires communication assistance to help ensure the safety of patients and the same standard of quality of care that any other patient would receive,” says Louis Provenzano, President and COO of Language Line Services. “We are proud to be part of the solution for those hospitals embracing video interpreting as a means to improve access to care for the deaf and hearing impaired.”

With the Language Line® Video Interpreting Service, patients have access to video-based ASL interpreters 24 hours a day, every day.

An interpreter appears on the monitor directly in front of the patient and, because the Language Line® Video Interpreting Service “Rover” is mobile, registration and other vital patient information can be handled in the privacy of the patient’s room. Language Line Services employs only qualified medically certified interpreters who are able to interpret effectively, accurately and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using the specialized vocabulary required in a medical setting.

“Our healthcare professionals and patients have been using the Language Line® Video Interpreting Service since 2006 and it has resulted in improved access to care and higher patient satisfaction,” explains Tom Kemp, CIO from New York Hospital Queens in Flushing. “Video interpreting is another example of how state-of-the-art technology can improve care and reduce cost, a top priority for health systems across the country.”

According to Bob Kertulis, Director of Risk Management for Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, “Video interpreting is a crucial component of Crouse’s language assistance program and is the reason the hospital is able to maintain compliance with the state’s regulations, which are both stringent and necessary to meet the needs of the deaf and hearing impaired community.”

Prior to video interpreting, patients needing ASL interpreter services often had to wait, sometimes hours, for a qualified ASL medical interpreter to arrive. Alternatively, an ASL interpreter had to be on-site at all times, which proves not to be cost-effective nor an efficient use of human resources, especially in light of the shortage of qualified (ASL) interpreters that has been a crisis across America for years.

“St. Mary’s Amsterdam has implemented the Language Line Rover as an effective and timely way to serve our hearing impaired patients and their families,” comments Sister Danielle Bonetti, Vice President for Mission Integration at St. Mary’s Hospital, Amsterdam, New York. “We are very pleased with the product and are using it to provide American Sign Language interpreting for several of our patients.”

Language Line Services developed the first video interpreting service in 2004. Since then, hospitals and clinics in more than 20 states are using the system. Today, Language Line Services works with hospitals throughout the state of New York and across the country to address all the components needed to establish a well-rounded and comprehensive language assistance program, including policy planning and development, 24/7 access to interpreters in 170 spoken languages and American Sign Language, member outreach and customer service, document translation, medical interpreter certification, and compliance auditing, among other services. 

To learn more, visit www.languageline.com/page/vis/.

American Sign Language, the dominant sign language of the deaf community in the United States, is estimated to be the fourth most utilized language in the United States with as many as two million people using it to communicate. 

More than 20 million Americans are classified as either deaf or hard of hearing, according to Gallaudet University, with U.S. Census data estimating approximately 64,000 living in the state of New York.  Meanwhile, the Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf (RID), currently has a national membership that includes more than 10,000 professional interpreters.

For more information about the Language Line Services 10NYCRR Compliance Program, contact  Jeanette Anders, 877-584-2545 or janders@languageline.com.

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 interpreting, 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 spoken languages and American Sign Language to its industry-leading portfolio of clients across markets including healthcare, 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 option 4, or visit http://www.languageLine.com.