As a medical resident, Dr. Charles Lee was called to the emergency room. When he arrived he discovered that he was called because he spoke 'Asian' and the patient spoke 'Asian'. In fact, the patient was Vietnamese and Dr. Lee is of Korean descent.

This experience sparked an interest in Dr. Lee to later combine his medical training and training in medical informatics to create a simple-to-use software technology for use in the clinical environment.

That software was on display and presented by Dr. Lee in New York City this past October 18th at the Gouverneur Skilled Nursing Facility.

Additionally, Dr. Lee demonstrated the software via a web-based seminar (Webinar) moderated by industry interpretation expert, Cynthia E. Roat that same day.

October 18th's demonstration of the Language LineŽ HealthPort system included:

• A presentation by, Charles Lee, MD ˇ Founder & President Polyglot Systems Inc. and moderated by Cynthia E. Roat, MPH, Consultant and Trainer;
• Scenarios of how the system can increase efficiency and reduce costs during patient registration;
• Accessing valuable cultural information regarding traditions, religion, dietary restrictions, medicinal practices, spiritual and cultural issues toward death;
• How to communicate verbally and print in-language discharge, follow up treatment and medication information for limited English proficient patients; and,
• An open discussion with the speakers and language interpretation experts.

Dr. Lee plans to present another web-based demonstration of the Language LineŽ HealthPort solution soon. This future Webinar will include much of the same information.

So, attention Patient Care and Patient Relations Managers and Directors; Telecommunications; IT; Multicultural Liaisons; Compliance Officers; physicians and...

Any provider interested in ensuring their facility complies with state mandates while improving the quality of care by overcoming barriers presented by language or culture...

Sign up to be a part of this future Webinar by emailing us at healthcare@languageline.com or call 866.921.5308 and we'll reserve a seat for you.

The delivery of health care services in a manner that is respectful and appropriate to an individual's language and culture is more than simply a patient's right, but is, in fact, a key factor in the safety and quality of patient care (Schyve , 2002).

Hospitals, Language, and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation" is a three year cross-sectional qualitative study funded by The California Endowment designed to explore how 60 hospitals across the country provide health care to culturally and linguistically diverse patient populations.

Download the October 2007 project update here (Requires Adobe Reader)

Following is a release from NYC Mayor's office that went out earlier this week.

The release discusses the Domestic Violence Work Advantage program, which will provide a rental subsidy for victims of domestic violence and grant an extension after they obtain housing to secure employment.

The release mentions other efforts by the Mayor's office targeting domestic abuse victims, including the Language Line Program, a citywide initiative that equips police officers with special telephones that allow direct access to interpreters in more than 150 languages."

The article notes that through the Language Line Program and other efforts, "major domestic violence felony crime has decreased 20% citywide and family-related homicides have decreased 7% over the last five years." View the entire release from Mayor Bloomberg

Studies show that:

• Nearly 70 percent of women on welfare are victims of domestic violence.
• Over 50 percent of women and children who become homeless are victims of domestic violence.
• 40 percent of FORTUNE 1000 executives say their employees are affected by violence.
• 37 percent of women involved in partner violence have left its effects on the workplace reflected in lateness, missed work, difficulty in keeping a job, and difficulty advancing in their careers.
• 31 percent of women in the United States report being physically or sexually abused.

If you or someone you know needs domestic violence assistance, please call 911.

If you are in New York, the New York City hotline is 1-800-621-HOPE.

On October 11th a team of researchers from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's "Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change" initiative held a Webcast on how health care organizations, providers and payers can reduce racial and ethnic health disparities in their own organizations.

They also launched a publicly available, interactive, online tool that allows users to search for interventions. The database can be found at www.SolvingDisparities.org/fair_database.

The recommendations and database are based on findings from a review of more than 200 interventions in the areas of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, breast cancer, cultural leverage and pay-for-performance incentives.

Articles outlining the findings and recommendations appear as a special supplement in the October 2007 edition of Medical Care Research and Review. Health disparities in minority populations exist regardless of socioeconomic status. During the briefing, several promising intervention strategies were identified to help bridge the gap.

Recommendations to health care leaders include developing interventions with multiple components, culturally tailoring quality improvement approaches, and allowing nurses to take the lead in patient-centered programs.

The FAIR Database was designed to provide a customized list of interventions that match a user's interest in the following areas: health topic, racial/ethnic population, organizational setting, and intervention strategy.

Again, the FAIR database can be found at www.SolvingDisparities.org/fair_databasea>.

(San Francisco, CA) On Tuesday, October 30, in honor of October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Chief Heather Fong, City Administrator Ed Lee, and Commissioner Dorka Keehn of the Commission on the Status of Women, joined with AT&T, Language Line Services, and community-based organizations to announce a new tool in the effort to provide assistance to domestic violence survivors who speak English with limited proficiency-mobile phones.

"This collaboration between criminal justice agencies and community providers is a critical step in closing the gaps that may leave some of our residents feeling vulnerable or unsafe," noted Mayor Newsom. "Furthermore, this interpretation tool acknowledges the city's diversity and reinforces our commitment to providing city services that are more culturally competent."

View the full news release here >

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