Washington - 12/1/08 - The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) released a set of standards assessing the quality of culturally and linguistically appropriate services for public comment.

Understanding the unique cultural and linguistic challenges minorities face is vital to creating a fair and equitable health care system for all Americans.

NCQA will publish the proposed standards to be used by health care organizations as a yardstick for internal quality improvement.

"Navigating our health care system is difficult enough, but for many minorities and non-English speakers, there are additional obstacles to receiving quality care," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane.

"Improving language accessibility and cultural competence is a core responsibility for all health care providers."

To learn more about these new NCQA standards, click here

The International Medical Interpreters Association annual conference exceeded all expectations by attendees.

The IMIA reports "We had a wonderful 2009 conference with unprecedented attendance, and an unbelievable energy for change and advocacy for medical interpreters."

The IMIA staff videotaped the keynote speakers for the first time at the October 10th event.

If you didn't have a chance to attend the conference, you can view those videos at http://www.imiaweb.org/conferences/2008keynotes.asp

Presentation slides can also be viewed at http://www.imiaweb.org/conferences/2008presentations.asp

The 2009 IMIA Conference is scheduled for October 9-11, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MA.

To Develop a National Medical Interpreter Certification Program.

MONTEREY, CA - (December 17, 2008) - Language LineŽ University, the globally recognized interpreter testing, training and certification division of Language Line Services, and PSI Services LLC, an industry-leading provider of professional testing services, today announced a new partnership to expand the development and implementation of national medical interpreter certification for all medical interpreting disciplines, including on-site and remote interpreting.

The patent-pending (filed 2002) national certification is being developed to support standardization and raise the profile of the medical interpreting profession, as well as improve the quality of language services in the nation's healthcare institutions and subsequently the delivery of care for patients and families with limited English proficiency (LEP).

"The lack of standards and guidelines in providing language access remains a significant health concern for LEP patients and continues to result in unnecessary pain, suffering and expense, making it imperative that we succeed on a national level in eliminating linguistic and cultural barriers in healthcare," explains Louis Provenzano, President and COO of Language Line Services.

Read the rest of the story, "Language LineŽ University Partners with PSI Services LLC" here

December has been a busy month at Language Line Services.

• Despite slump, interpreters flourish in U.S. Babel. "Every 19 seconds an individual needing language assistance arrives somewhere in the U.S."
• "Language Access - A Matter of Equity & Fairness". Speech to International Medical Interpreters Association by Louis Provenzano, President & COO
• Language LineŽ University Launches International Registry of Certified Medical Interpreters (IRCMI), a Free Online Clearing House of Medical Interpreter Qualifications. Visit IRCMI here.
• New Online Resource Center Now "Live" - Emergency Resources, Surveys & Research, Multicultural Marketing, Demographic and Census Data, and more to come

For earlier news, visit our News Archives.

Texas Bill filed to Establish Interpreter Standards

On November 14, 2008, Texas State Representative Eddie Rodriguez filed House Bill 233, related to the creation of an advisory committee to establish and recommend qualifications for health care translators and interpreters.

Read more about it here

Scrabble: 60 facts for its 60th birthday

December 16th marked the 60th anniversary of the most popular word game in history: Scrabble.

The Daily Telegraph has compiled a list of 60 pieces of trivia to mark the event.

Here are just a few. The rest can be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of this list:

• Over 150 million games have been sold in 121 countries around the world.
• Scrabble is currently produced in 29 different languages. The latest is the Welsh language Scrabble introduced in 2006.
• 53 per cent of all homes in Great Britain have a Scrabble set.
• Scrabble can be played by email and post.
• Each hour, at least 30,000 Scrabble games are started.

Read the rest of Scrabble trivia here.

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A holiday quote from the poet John Greenleaf Whittier.

Where you see "Christmas", please insert the holiday of your choice.

Everyone here at Language Lines Services and "In Other Words" wishes you and your family a very happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous new year.

Cheers!