LanguageLine TeamLink offers a seamless solution that integrates clients' in-house interpreters with our advanced technology platform, adding efficiency and flexibility to their interpretation services. With TeamLink, interpretation requests made via the LanguageLine app are directed first to the clients' staff interpreters, maximizing resource utilization and reducing wait times.
If an interpreter is unavailable or there is a specific language need, the call transitions smoothly to LanguageLine Certified interpreters. This approach not only enhances accessibility but ensures a consistently high-quality experience for users on a reliable, state-of-the-art platform.
UCHealth in Colorado adopted TeamLink nearly three years ago. We spoke with Director of Language and Cultural Services Scott Suckow about their successful transition to this solution.
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LanguageLine: Are you seeing an increase in the number of patients who require language assistance?
Scott Suckow: We’ve seen literally 30-35% growth year-over-year in the demand for language services across our system. It’s a challenge to keep up with the demand, honestly. Fortunately, LanguageLine is a great partner and helps us do that. We are currently trying to grow our TeamLink team as fast as we can in order to meet that demand.
What challenges were you facing when you decided to implement TeamLink?
We implemented TeamLink about two and a half years ago. What drove us to go down that road was the idea that we could use some of our excellent staff interpreters in a new role and bring them into the exam rooms and in-patient wards through TeamLink. Before, all of our video interpretation had been through agency interpreters.
Being able to bring staff interpreters into the mix has been very helpful. Very often those staff interpreters know the care providers. They know the care teams. They know the hospital and the clinics, and many times they even know the patient. That continuity really pays big dividends.
When you made the decision to add TeamLink, what objective did you have in mind?
We take great pride in the interpreters we recruit. We’re very selective. We focus on people with excellent skills as well as folks who have excellent bedside manners. We wanted to bring them into the exam rooms and patient units through the video connection, in addition to the in-person interpretation we already provide.
It’s been a great experience. We’re really big fans of [TeamLink].
What feedback have you received from your staff?
We have received fantastic feedback from our doctors, nurses, and care teams. At the end of every call, users get to rate the call and provide feedback. We see that feedback and it’s almost universally positive and glowing.
How have your patients responded to TeamLink?
Our [patient satisfaction] ratings go up when a UCHealth interpreter involved in the encounter. They trust their doctor more and appreciate the encounter more by several percentage points. We can track that back to the presence of a staff interpreter who is highly trained, highly qualified, and an integrated part of the care team.
What has been the overall benefit of the TeamLink rollout?
First, [TeamLink] is a cost-effective way to deliver language services. Secondly and more importantly, as opposed to having to worry about technology, we can focus on the quality of the interpretation that we’re providing. We can hire the best interpreters in the state and bring them into this system.
And thirdly, bringing in UCHealth interpreters does bring up patient satisfaction scores as well as the staff satisfaction scores. [TeamLink] has been a win all across the board.
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