The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month unveiled CuidadodeSalud.gov, the first website in Spanish of its kind to help consumers take control of their health care by connecting them to new information and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage.

Consistent with the mandate in the Affordable Care Act, CuidadodeSalud.gov is the partner site of HealthCare.gov, which was launched in July 2010, and is the first website in Spanish to provide consumers with both public and private health coverage options tailored specifically for their needs in a single, easy-to-use tool.

"CuidadoDeSalud.gov like HealthCare.gov is an unprecedented website which provides consumers with the power of information at their fingertips. Individuals, families, and small businesses will be able to easily compare both public and private health coverage options tailored specifically for their needs, said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "

CuidadoDeSalud.gov will give Latinos across the nation better information about the choices they have, how much they cost, and what they can expect from their doctor--specific to their life situation and local community."

In addition, the website is a one-stop-shop for information about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act as well as other health care resources. The website connects consumers to quality rankings for local health care providers as well as preventive services.

Read the rest of the HHS.gov news release here >>

New Spanish Language Consumer Guides

The HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) also released 8 new free evidence-based guides designed to help Spanish speakers understand and compare the risks, benefits and side effects of treatments for eight health conditions.

The guides provide valuable information that patients can use in talking with their clinicians Access these and other Spanish language consumer guides at: http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/informacion-en-espanol/

See the AHRQ news release here >>

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is comprised of several national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working in partnership to build breast cancer awareness, share information and provide access to screening services.

NBCAM and www.nbcam.org are a year-round resource for patients, survivors, caregivers and the general public.

If you or a loved one wonders about breast cancer, there are many forms of information on NBCAM's website. Here are just a few:

• About NBCAM and Q & A
• Breast Cancer Q & A, and
• Questions to Ask your Doctor

Please note that the above links are downloadable documents.

Help Us Fight Breast Cancer Now with the Language Line® "Speak Pink" Phone...

Now you can order our popular "Speak Pink" phones.

With all the features of our traditional phones, make a statement through this dual-handset phone's distinctive pink color and pink ribbon logo.

The best news? Proceeds support the American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF).

Read the latest news from Language Line and the ABCF here >>

"Language Line Services has shown a tremendous commitment to the fight to eradicate breast cancer through this effort," said Tammy Wagner, Vice President of the American Breast Cancer Foundation.

"The 'Speak Pink' telephone will be both a means of communication for limited English speaking patients, and a tool to raise awareness among this at-risk population."

The independent "Commission on the Public's Health System" recently looked at what cultural and language components work in different provider health care settings in New York City, and issued a report entitled "Culturally Competent Care: Some Examples of What Works!" (PDF).

According to the study's Executive Summary, "This city-wide effort surveyed 659 parents in twelve languages about their children's health and access to care.

"The survey showed many cultural and linguistic barriers in access to care for children."

Not surprisingly, health care organizations in New York City that had a combination of the following elements scored highest among limited English proficient parents in their respective communities:

• A diverse staff, reflective of the patients and the community, is hired at all levels, and is often hired from the community.


• Many staff are bicultural/bilingual, and are native speakers.


• Doctors/nurses and other staff have learned to listen to patients and to learn from them. They are open to racial and cultural differences and how to address them.


• Recognize the differences and problems facing new immigrants and develop treatment/efforts to recognize differences based on the length of time spent in the U.S., and


• Friendly and respectful treatment of all patients.

The complete report is located here >>

You can read the entire "Commission on the Public's Health System" report here:
45 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
and here www.cphsnyc.org

Language Line Services kicks off program to help hospitals prepare in advance of upcoming Joint Commission requirements.

MONTEREY, Calif., September 9, 2010 - Language Line Services, the leading provider of language-based solutions and the number one provider of over-the-phone interpreting services for the healthcare industry, announced a program of support, instructional materials and consultations to help ensure compliance for hospitals as they gear up for the new Joint Commission accreditation standards taking effect in January 2011.

"The Commission's new standards reflect the needs of an increasingly diverse U.S. population. Over 60 million people - about one in five U.S. residents - speak a language other than English at home," noted Louis Provenzano, president and COO of Language Line Services.

"This presents an enormous challenge for the healthcare industry where $73 billion a year is lost due to poor communication according to the Institute for Healthcare Advancement."

The Joint Commission has issued a report titled:

Language Line Services will offer its "Customer Regulatory Readiness Program - Support for The Joint Commission Requirements for Language Access," much of which is free, to help its more than 12,000 healthcare customers navigate the Roadmap to improve patient safety outcomes throughout healthcare systems, teaching facilities, integrated delivery networks (IDNs) and rural facilities.

Language Lines Services fields more than 100,000 interpretation calls daily from healthcare providers, led by 41 of the top 50 U.S. healthcare organizations and 16 of the top 20 health services providers.

"We applaud The Joint Commission for enhancing these standards and see this as a great step toward assuring equal healthcare access for all patients, regardless of the languages they speak," Provenzano said.

The Language Line Services program will focus on the language-related sections of the report which include:

• Developing a system of identifying the patient's preferred language;


• Ensuring the competency of individuals who provide language services;


• Developing a method of delivering language services; and


• Translating materials and signage into other languages.

Read the rest of the news release here >>

Read the full Joint Commission report here >>

Selected News of the Month

• Language Line Services Champions Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Efforts in More Than 170 Languages for Fifth Year


• Language Line Services' - Cross-Cultural Update for September 2010. Useful Cultural News, Tips and Timely Information


• "For the Sake of Patient Safety, Medical Interpreters Must Be Trained and Tested" - by Louis Provenzano in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare


• Leading hospital interpreting service announces plan to aid compliance with new Joint Commission accreditation standards

More Language Line Services news here >>

Language Line Services, the leader in language interpretation, is seeking to increase its interpreter team in many languages, as well as offering a wide variety of corporate openings.

Dual Role Interpreters in California

An exciting new opportunity is available to experienced interpreters living in the Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange county areas. Interpreters will now be able to do both on-site, face-to-face interpreting as well as over-the-phone interpreting in the following languages: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Farsi, Armenian, and Japanese.

As for work-at-home, over-the-phone interpreters, we have openings in a number of languages including:

• Arabic
• French
• Somali
• Cantonese
• Korean
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Vietnamese

As well as...

• Bambara,
• Cakchiquel
• Chamorro
• Chru
• Edo
• Kotokoli
• Kpelle
• Lusoga
• Mam
• Mixteco
• Punu
• Slovak
• Susu
• Trique
• and several others (see our Web site)

And, finally, top Corporate open positions include:

• Reporting Analyst - SQL Server
• Account Managers - Healthcare or Government
• Senior Sales Executives (Business Partnership Development; Face to Face Interpretation; General Markets; Government; Healthcare; Acquisitions)

For non-interpreter positions, please apply at: www.languageline.com/careers. Click on "Apply Today" under "Corporate Careers" and follow the directions to add your profile.

EEO/AA Employer.

* Some positions may have been filled by the time you apply. However, new positions open every week.

Visit our Career Center here >>

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