Roundtable Discussion Looks at Patient Safety Through the Lens of Language and Culture

MONTEREY, CA – (October 23, 2008) – “Patient Safety in Any Language,” the first in a series of roundtable discussions on language access in healthcare settings, is now available via podcast at www.languageline.com/patientsafety.

This educational forum is a collaboration of the International Medical Interpreters Association, The Joint Commission, Grady Health System of Atlanta, Ga., and Language Line^® University, a globally recognized interpreter training and certification division of Language Line Services.

The following panelists addressed the issue of patient safety as seen through the lens of language and culture with a discussion of the best practice standards that are enabling healthcare providers to overcome language and cultural barriers.

• Dr. Peter Angood, Inaugural Chief Patient Safety Officer and a Vice President for The Joint Commission
• Izabel Arocha, President of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA)
• Marty Conroy, former Director at the Division of Acute and Primary Care Services with the State of New York and current Senior Manager for Public Sector Programs for Language Line Services
• Linda Joyce, a language access consultant, professional medical interpreter, and language proficiency tester
• Louis Provenzano, President and Chief Operating Officer of Language Line Services
• Sandra Sanchez, Director of Multicultural Affairs at Grady Health System in Atlanta, Georgia

“Patient Safety in Any Language” was a prelude to the International Medical Interpreters Association’s 2008 International Conference on Medical Interpreting: Addressing Health Care Disparities by Ensuring Language Access to All.

Many of the panelists, including keynote speaker Dr. Peter Angood and speaker Louis Provenzano, participated in the conference held October 10-12, 2008, in Boston, Mass. For more information, visit http://www.imiaweb.org/conferences/default.asp.

 A transcript of the “Patient Safety in Any Language” podcast, along with articles and research on patient safety and the progress being made to provide linguistically and culturally competent healthcare, is available at www.languageline.com/patientsafety.

About International Medical Interpreters Association

The International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) is committed to the advancement of professional medical interpreters as the best practice to equitable language access to health care for linguistically diverse patients. Founded in 1986 to develop and maintain a certification process for medical interpreters, the IMIA is the oldest and largest medical interpreter association worldwide. It has more than 1,600 members providing interpreting services in over 100 languages. IMIA membership is open to those interested in medical interpreting and language access and in partnering to promote the IMIA mission. The IMIA currently includes a division of providers, corporate members, and trainers. Policy makers, health care administrators, and others interested in medical interpreting are also welcome to join as associate members. For more information, visit www.imiaweb.org.

About Language Line® University

Language Line University is the globally recognized interpreter training and certification subsidiary of Language Line Services, the leading provider of telephone interpreting and other language-based services. Language Line 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 phone, on-site and video interpreting, translation, transcription, localization and localized software and devices and the only medical interpreter certification program that is externally validated. 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.