Language Line Services Opens Tucson Office to Help Local Healthcare Institutions and Government Agencies Meet the Needs of Their Multicultural Constituents

Company’s Expanded Presence in the Community Offers Job Opportunities and Access to Interpreting and Translation Services in 176 Spoken Languages and American Sign Language  

Monterey, CA – (March 23, 2009) Local healthcare institutions and government agencies now have a new option for improving access to quality care and customer service for their multilingual patients and clients thanks to a Tucson, AZ, expansion by leading global provider of language solutions, Language Line Services.

The company, which just opened a new Southwest region headquarter facility in midtown Tucson at 5151 E. Broadway Boulevard, founded the over-the-phone interpreting industry more than 26 years ago. Today it provides a full array of language solutions consisting of video, telephone and face-to-face interpreting, as well as translation, localization and training/certification services, for thousands of healthcare and government organizations, and nearly 90 percent of the nation’s 911 call centers.

“You need only to look at the ever-diversifying patient populations of Tucson’s hospitals to see the demand for new technology that aids communication with limited-English speakers and the deaf and hard of hearing, but it’s the technology coupled with our skilled certified medical interpreters that will help hospitals contain costs over current methods used in Tucson,” said Louis Provenzano, Language Line Services’ President and Chief Operating Officer.

 “Language Line Services is able to help the community meet the challenge to communicate with limited-English speakers and the hearing impaired as we become a larger part of Tucson’s multilingual culture.”

Language Line Services’ unique suite of proven language solutions to help organizations speak their customers’ languages include:

•    Language Line® Over-the-phone Interpretation Service - simple, 3-way communication between an organization, its patient or customer, and an interpreter.  Available within seconds anytime, anywhere, from any type of phone
•    Language Line® Phone - dual-handset telephone to access interpreters in face-to-face situations
•    Language Line® Document Translation - translating written English forms, signage, agreements, applications and any other document into a customer’s languages
•    Language Line® Localization - translating software, content management solutions, websites, on-line help, multimedia applications, training materials, and other applications into different languages
•    Language Line® Video Interpreter Service - for timely, over-video American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting with deaf and hard of hearing clients, as well as with limited-English speaking clients in selected languages
•    Language Line® On-site Interpretation - professional, face to face, on-site interpreters conduct scheduled, in-person assignments for limited-English clients/patients
•    Language Line® University - to test, train and certify bilingual employees and interpreters in medical interpreting
•    Language Line® BiMedical.net - new Web-based service that generates bilingual medical forms and questionnaires
•    Language Line® LanguageTrak - provides timely alerts on emerging language trends in specific market areas
 
“Language Line Services has been Banner Thunderbird Medical Center’s chosen provider of over-the-phone interpreting for more than ten years, helping us to ensure access to quality and safe language support for our growing population of limited English-speaking patients,” said Sylvia Ramos McLaughlin, Lead Spanish Medical Interpreter with non-profit Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Ariz.

“We are extremely pleased that they will now have an expanded presence in our own backyard and look forward to learning more about how our hospital’s language access program can be enhanced through some of their newest translation and interpreting services.”

According to Provenzano, the Language Line® Video Interpreter Service, which is used in hospitals across the country, may be particularly beneficial for the more than 64,500 deaf and hard of hearing individuals in Pima County, based on 1996 population estimates available from the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

“Video interpreting allows our patients round-the-clock access to American Sign Language interpreters and has been an invaluable addition to our language access services since 2005,” noted Jonathan Hirsch, Director of Guest Services with Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ, the first hospital to use the video interpreter service.

As part of the company’s Tucson expansion, it is conducting a job fair on Saturday, April 4, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Embassy Suites located at 5335 East Broadway Boulevard. Language Line Services is currently recruiting 200 interpreters for Native American languages, American Sign Language, and other languages for work-at-home opportunities in the Tucson area. For more information about career opportunities with Language Line Services, visit www.languageline.com/careers.

Language Line Services’ expansion into Tucson and the prospect for new jobs have generated a warm reception from the community. Ray Flores, President of El Charro Café, extended a welcome to the “Old Pueblo” on behalf of the Flores Family and the El Charro Café Restaurants. “Language Line Services provides a valuable service of language interpretation to our diverse population. We look forward to viewing your successful expansion and appreciate your decision to incorporate this great community as part of your efforts,” added Flores.

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STATISTICS: GROWING LANGUAGE-SUPPORT NEEDS

Nationwide

• 176 languages spoken in the U.S.
• 15% of total U.S. buying power owned by Hispanic and Asian populations
• 75% of limited-English speakers prefer to speak in their native languages
  

In Tucson

• 69,476 foreign-born residents in Tucson
• 66.7% increase in Tucson immigrant population since 1990
• 10% of Tucson residents need language assistance on a regular basis
• 28% of Tucson residents speak a language other than English at home

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About Language Line Services

Language Line Services, the global leader in telephone interpreting and language solutions, serves clients in government, health care, telecom, financial services, insurance and many other industries by quickly connecting them to their customers, patients and sales prospects in over 170 spoken languages and American sign language.

Growth of the language interpreting industry has soared with increased immigration and government regulatory policies mandating that organizations provide services to limited English speakers in their own languages.

Language Line Services is recognized as a trusted partner to thousands of clients throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, providing access to the industry's fastest language interpreting service at highly competitive rates.

For more information about Language Line Services' suite of telephone and video interpreting, document translation, interactive software-based translation, interpreter training and certification programs, please call +1 (800) 752-6096.