Language Line Services' - Cross-Cultural Update for Apr 28 to May 11

Useful Cultural News, Tips and Timely Information

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National Medical Interpreter Certification Paves Way for Reimbursement of Language Services:

A new policy brief from Mathematica Policy Research (www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/health/languageservicesbr.pdf), released in April, looks at emerging national efforts to address language barriers in the healthcare setting.

It identified three key challenges to developing language services:

1. promoting appropriate use of services;
2. ensuring quality; and
3. developing payment mechanisms.
   

Language Line Services has long promoted the standardization of medical interpreter services through its training, testing and certification programs, and most recently in its work with the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) to establish a national certification for medical interpreters.

National certification is seen as a critical step in the growing movement for the reimbursement of language services and will be a topic of discussion at the Third Annual National Medical Interpreter Certification – Open Forum being held Friday, May 1, 2009, in Denver, Colorado.

For more information on the forum or to schedule an interview with Louis Provenzano, president of COO of Language Line Services, on the issue of national certification and language services reimbursement, please get in touch with Shawn Yanan at (305) 962-1768 or at shawn.yanan@rbbpr.com.

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When limited-English becomes a matter of life and death:

New study findings show that limited English speakers are less likely to survive a heart attack due in part to the increased time delay encountered when dealing with emergency dispatchers.  The findings were based on data from 906 confirmed cases of cardiac arrest that happened away from hospital settings, and it was determined that it took dispatchers 79 seconds to recognize the need for CPR when the caller had limited English skills compared to 46 seconds for those fluent in English. 

Additionally, only 4% of those with limited English skills survived the cardiac arrest, compared to 14% of fluent English speakers. 

Language Line Services, the leading provider of interpretation services, works with 911 dispatch centers throughout the country, providing them with interpreters in 175 languages to ensure that emergency dispatchers have interpretation assistance at all times so they can effectively triage health emergencies like these, regardless of language.

A Language Line spokesperson is available to discuss the need for language assistance to aid dispatchers, as well as the importance of alerting the community that these language assistance resources are available if needed in an emergency.  For more information call Julie Jimenez at 305-461-5794 or email at, julie.jimenez@rbbpr.com.   

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Pharmacists can now speak to customers in over 170 languages: 

Reading the label on a medicine bottle is easy enough for a patient with English fluency. But every day, millions of Americans with limited-English skills may not understand their medication instructions. 

Research suggests nearly half of America's pharmacies are unable to communicate with, or provide information to, non-English-speaking clients. That means as many as 168 million prescriptions each year could be going to patients who aren't able to fully understand them, putting them at risk of medication errors. 

A new partnership between Rite-Aid pharmacy and Language Line Services aims to put an end to the confusion by providing in-language prescriptions and consultation. With this multilingual program, customers can receive prescription and dosage information printed in their native language and have 24/7 on demand access to interpreters in more than 175 languages so they can consult with their Rite-Aid pharmacists in their native language. 

A Language Line Services’ expert can provide more insight about the need for language interpretation in pharmacies and across the health-care continuum.  To schedule an interview or to find out how this program can serve as an example for other pharmacies and medical providers such as hospitals, please call Christine de la Huerta at 305-448-7535 or e-mail christine.delahuerta@rbbpr.com.

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English-Only Debates Rage On:

California Pro Interpretation. Oklahoma Against.  On April 17, 2009, The California Senate voted, 21-14, to make it illegal to hold events that require participants to speak English, a move prompted by the LPGA Tour's English-only proposal that was rescinded in late 2008 amid uproar from the sporting community.

This recent move by California state lawmakers is in sharp contrast to the Oklahoman state Senate who just last week (4/22/09) approved  an English-only law that prevents public agencies from being sued  if they don’t offer language assistance to constituents, even if a lack of interpretation lead to preventable harm or death . 

This law, which is in direct contrast to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act  that requires any organization receiving federal dollars to provide equal access to services for those with limited English proficiency, will be voted on by Oklahoma citizens this summer. The conflicting actions of the Oklahoma and California legislatures underscores the ongoing debate regarding immigration, language and culture that continues to rage in the United States.

If this is a topic you’d like to explore further a representative from Language Line Services is available to discuss the work the company does with hospitals, police, 911 and government first responders across the country to ensure language is never a barrier to resolving an emergency, despite English-only mandates and local politics. For more information or to arrange interviews, call Jeanine Karp at 305-785-0424 or email, Jeanine.Karp@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, 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, call 1-800-752-6096.