Language Line Services’ "Cross-Cultural" Update for Tues, June 24 thru Mon, July 7, 2008 

Useful Cultural News, Tips and Timely Information

For a list of May 2008's top language requests for all states, visit http://languageline.com/page/topten

Study Finds Link Between Language Barrier and Poor Health in Children:

A study published in the June issue of Pediatrics magazine found that children from homes where English is not the primary language suffer from more health and dental problems and have less access to healthcare. Of the 100,000 contacted for the survey, 43 percent of non-English-speaking households reported that their children were not in excellent or good health, compared to 12 percent of English-speaking households. 

This results in missed school days and missed work days, which has huge economic repercussions considering the immigrant population is growing at an exponential rate.  Without the ability to communicate their symptoms to a healthcare professional, more children will end up suffering due to the language barriers they face. 

Representatives from Language Line Services are available to discuss the importance of providing interpretation assistance at healthcare facilities for children and parents.  For more information, please contact Julie Jimenez at 305-461-5794 or julie.jimenez@rbbpr.com.

California Health Plans Face July 1 Deadline: 

California managed health care plans have just over a week before the state’s July 1 deadline to file amendments to their quality assurance programs providing written language assistance program policies and procedures. This deadline brings millions of health plan enrollees with limited English proficiency (LEP) one step closer to greater access to health insurance information in their native languages.

Just think how confusing it can be to navigate health insurance in the United States. When you add language barriers to the scenario, it can be impossible. In 2003, the California legislature passed Senate Bill 853 mandating that all health plans in the state provide LEP enrollees with language assistance services.

Language Line Services is consulting with health plans around the state to help them comply with SB 853 requirements. Company representatives are available to talk about this massive industry-wide effort to overcome language barriers and all the components needed to ensure a well-rounded and comprehensive language assistance program. To schedule interviews, contact Shawn Yanan at (305) 962-1768 or shawn.yanan@rbbpr.com.

Language Barriers in Community Health Centers:

According to a report published this month by the National Association of Community Health Centers, 84 percent of community health centers treat patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) on a daily basis. Most rely on bilingual staff to serve LEP patients, while only 27 percent reported frequently using telephonic and/or video interpreting services.

Of particular concern was the finding that a quarter of CHCs admitted to using ad hoc interpreters, like family members, raising serious concerns as to the quality of the interpretation and the subsequent level of care being provided to LEP patients.

Language Line Services has long crusaded for medical interpreting standards as a factor in patient safety and can speak to this issue and other aspects of the NACHC report Serving Patients with Limited English Proficiency: Results of a Community Health Center Survey. To schedule interviews, contact Shawn Yanan at (305) 962-1768 or shawn.yanan@rbbpr.com.

The following information is provided by LanguageTrak™.

LanguageTrak delivers timely alerts on emerging language trends in your market areas... before your competitors learn of them.

The data reflects the languages most requested by emergency services, government agencies, health care facilities and businesses in May 2008.

For a list of this month’s top language requests for all states visit http://languageline.com/page/topten.

Quick Facts

• Only three states had more requests for Burmese in May than Indiana - New York, Texas and Colorado

• Kentucky had the third most requests for Armenian and Tagalog

• Somali was Kansas’ and Kentucky’s sixth most requested language in May

• Kansas’ ninth most requested language was Laotian, from Laos in southeast Asia

Top Ten Foreign Languages Spoken In… Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky

Indiana    

1.     Spanish
2.     Burmese
3.     Mandarin
4.     Vietnamese
5.     Arabic
6.     Russian
7.     Korean
8.     French
9.     Cantonese
10.     Haitian-Creole

Kansas    

1.     Spanish
2.     Russian
3.     Mandarin
4.     Vietnamese
5.     Polish
6.     Somali
7.     Arabic
8.     French
9.     Laotian
10.     Korean

Kentucky    

1.     Spanish
2.     Russian
3.     Cantonese
4.     Vietnamese
5.     Mandarin
6.     Somali
7.     Arabic
8.     Korean
9.     Tagalog
10.     Swahili

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, please call 1-800-752-6096.