by Louis Provenzano
With the closure of one year's
activities and anticipation of the
next, this is a good time for we as
individuals, organizations and community
members to reflect on what we have achieved,
where we can improve and what lies ahead.
First and foremost, we at Language Line
Services and our academic testing and
training arm, Language LineŽ University,
would like to pause and give thanks and
recognition to the great work and
contributions by many organizations and
individuals throughout 2008.
This past year was one of growth and
development, as well as new beginnings.
From
the work of many groups and individuals and
informative collaborative events such as the
May 1st Annual event on National Medical
Interpreter Certification in Portland Oregon,
to the formation of the National Coalition of
Certification (NCC), the amazing work and
development of interpreter associations
across the country and individual
contributions such as the first publication
on "Telephone
Interpreting: A Comprehensive Guide to the
Profession" authored by
interpreter Nataly Kelly (see next article).
These efforts gave
us what was a truly exciting year. These
activities set the tone and gave us plenty to
celebrate. But we have even more to look
forward to.
2008 also proved to be a wonderful year
for Language Line Services. We made great
strides as we expanded our services and
industry commitment by adding several new
products including on-site
interpreting for face-to-face support.
We also made
exciting new alliances as we joined
forces with PSI,
LLC to
provide on-site medical interpreter testing
for certification, which will be available at
over 800 proctoring sites across the country.
In this New Year we can look forward to all
that will unfold as a result of the effort,
accomplishments and hard work done from the
last and previous years. We can look forward
to harvesting the fruits of our labor and
investment in Certification - not years out
from now, but here in 2009!
These are indeed
exciting times for our profession and the
future of language access for those patients
and families we all serve. The
International Medical Interpreters
Association (IMIA), whom
has made a number of important developments
in 2008, adopted a motto for 2009, to:
"Promote that 'qualified''' interpreters
are the only ones that can guarantee a
patient's right to equitable health care
access. Interpretation by an 'unqualified'
individual can at best give the 'illusion' of
language access to all parties involved in
the interaction, but that patient is being
under-served and possible errors committed
(such as interpreting gall bladder as
bladder) could incur adverse health effects."
(Izabel Arocha, President, IMIA reprinted
from the IMIA January e-news).
My friends, it has become a tradition at
Language Line Services to pause and reflect
on what our customers and interpreters, the
core of our organization, strive for. For me,
this tradition of taking a few contemplative
moments from of our busy schedules is more
important than words can convey.
It gives us
a chance to reflect - individually and as an
organization - on what is truly important.
It allows us to truly listen to the voice of
the customer and our industry. By listening,
we give ourselves the opportunity to define
and redefine how to support the diverse and
ever-changing needs of the industry and the
communities it serves.
There have been numerous changes in our
industry - and in the world - since Language
Line Services created global telephone
interpreting almost 30 years ago. We have
always been at the vanguard of those changes.
We never fear change. In fact Language Line
Services has often been the catalyst for
change. We seek to constantly evolve to
deliver the quality and assurance you deserve.
However, even with the myriad of changes the
industry has experienced, there are things we
refuse to change. Not the least of which is
our commitment!
Commitment to excellence,
commitment to our customers and commitment to
one another and those of us who push the edge
of quality. These are the founding principles
that are as much a part of Language Line
Services today as they were when our company
was founded.
It is, I believe, a profound
pleasure to realize that in many important
ways we have refused to change if it meant
compromising our principles.
What is great about looking ahead to the
New Year is that it combines looking both
backward and forward - where we have been,
where we are and where we are going.
We
are truly blessed and
appreciative to have so much good to look
back on and so much excitement to anticipate.
Our own motivation and drive for 2009 will be
developed upon the notion and theme of:
We will not only continue our commitment
toward certification but we will refocus,
redouble our efforts and promise you the
results you have asked for and that the
providers and the LEP patients and families
deserve.
Let's learn from this past year - the
lessons and value of teamwork and applying
collaborative energies that create
substantive results - and let's apply these
teachings to this New Year. With that
approach, we can only do better - and be better.
Louis F. Provenzano
President and Chief Operating
Officer
Language Line Services
