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"In Other Words" - For Healthcare Professionals
October 2010

Greetings!

Welcome to "In Other Words" for healthcare professionals.

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In this issue
  • Services for You, Your Staff and Your Patients
  • News! Certified Medical Interpreters Mark 1st Anniversary
  • Study: Interpreters Improve Satisfaction with ED Visits
  • New National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Proposals
  • "For the Sake of Patient Safety...
  • THE VOICE OF LOVE Project
  • October 2010 News, Language and Cultural Items
  • We Are Hiring! Join Language Line Services
  • Thanks, again, for Subscribing to "In Other Words"

  • News! Certified Medical Interpreters Mark 1st Anniversary
    National Board Logo


    National Board Marks One Year Anniversary of National Certification Becoming Available for Medical Interpreters.

    Hospitals embrace new standard as a path to quality, equitable healthcare for limited English speaking patients.

    Washington, D.C. - (October 28, 2010) - Great strides have been made since the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters made history with the launch of the first national certification for medical interpreters one year ago this month, and limited English speaking patients are reaping the rewards.

    Nearly 500 candidates have registered for the certification exams and almost half have entered the testing phase.

    The National Board has granted more than 80 Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) credentials and many more are expected to be issued by year's end. Additionally, the National Registry of Certified Medical Interpreters was launched as an online tool for medical interpreters, healthcare providers and other employers to readily identify and contact these highly qualified professionals.

    Recognizing the historic effort that went into the establishment of the first national standard of its kind for medical interpreters, the National Board has created a documentary to chronicle the historic path to certification. An excerpt is available here on YouTube.com.

    "With the designation of each CMI, we are raising the quality of medical interpreting in the United States and helping to improve patient safety for limited English speakers," said Dr. Nelva Lee, Chair of the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters.

    "We've made tremendous progress in the past 12 months, and we are especially encouraged by the growing support from hospitals that are eager to embrace this national standard in the name of patient safety."

    For example, Children's Medical Center in Dallas, TX, is the first hospital in the country to offer complete reimbursement for its staff of interpreters who take and pass the national certification exams.

    According to Edgardo Garcia, Director of Language Access Services at Children's Medical Center, the department began to actively prepare staff for certification when the initiative was first announced.

    Read the rest of this news release from the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters here >>


    Study: Interpreters Improve Satisfaction with ED Visits
    Renal etc.


    A recent study reveals that non-English speaking patients who are provided with a professional interpreter in the emergency department (ED) of a hospital are far more likely to be satisfied with the experience and to understand information from health care professionals.

    The increase in patients who do not speak English has led hospitals to use a variety of interpretation methods, including having a friend or family member translate for the patient, using a hospital staff member as an informal interpreter, or finding a physician who speaks the patient's language.

    These methods are often hit or miss, leading to confusion about what was said, and the potential for errors.

    For the study, which was published online in Annals of Emergency Medicine, researchers used professionally trained medical interpreters. The study, led by Ann D. Bagchi, PhD, of Mathematica Policy Research in Princeton, N.J., took place in two New Jersey hospital EDs over a period of seven months.

    During some blocks of time, professional interpreters were provided to Spanish-speaking patients. During control blocks of time, interpretation methods took place as usual.

    Complete findings of this study published in the September 2010 Issue of Renal And Urology News can be found here >>

    Including the following...

    The researchers speculated that beyond increased satisfaction levels, improved communication from in-person interpreter services might yield additional benefits, including:

    • More accurate patient assessment on arrival in the ED;

    • Assistance in explaining procedures necessary for diagnosis and treatment;

    • Anxiety relief for patients unfamiliar with ED tests and procedures;

    • Improvement in patient safety and reduction in potential errors by improved communication and understanding of the patient's individual needs; and,

    • Improved compliance because patients can understand the discharge plan.

    From the September 2010 Issue of Renal And Urology News by Ann W. Latner, JD


    New National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Proposals
    ncqa


    The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), http://www.ncqa.org has released proposed criteria for accountable care organizations (ACOs).

    Public comments are due November 19, 2010.

    NCQA is the first national quality organization to propose specific criteria for ACOs.

    These criteria are in anticipation of proposed federal regulations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for implementing accountable care organizations under Medicare authorized by section 3022 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, expected in December 2010.

    NCQA's proposed criteria have the following domains:

    • Program Structure Operations

    • Access and Availability

    • Primary Care

    • Care Management

    • Care Coordination and Transitions

    • Patient Rights and Responsibilities, and

    • Performance Reporting

    Learn more about here about the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) newly proposed criteria for accountable care organizations (ACOs).


    "For the Sake of Patient Safety...
    Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare

    ...Medical Interpreters Must Be Trained and Tested"

    By Louis F. Provenzano, President & COO, Language Line Services

    September/October 2010 | Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare Magazine

    "Given the amount of education and training that physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals are required to undertake, many Americans would be shocked to find that there is one critical medical job that is completely devoid of any kind of federal oversight, regulation or, until recently, recognized national standards.

    "The title of the job in question is "Medical Interpreter," and the responsibility of the interpreter is to allow the millions of individuals in the United States with limited English skills to communicate with doctors, nurses, and other medical staff.

    "The interpreter is quite literally the bridge between a patient and potential life-saving care, and while there are thousands of highly trained interpreters who have special knowledge of medical terminology and processes, there has been no nationally recognized procedure to make sure that every interpreter on the job is really and truly up to the task.

    "Likewise, many hospitals and other medical facilities that hire medical interpreters by contracting with outside professional interpretation companies - companies that profess to provide trained medical interpreters - would be surprised to learn that their interpreters are actually outside contractors with no special training or knowledge.

    "While some professional interpretation companies adhere to specific testing and standards, others simply do not. As a result, hospitals and other facilities may be putting the safety of their patients at serious risk.

    Read the rest of this article in the September/October 2010 issue of "Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare" >>


    THE VOICE OF LOVE Project
    voice of love project

    "THE VOICE OF LOVE Project Prepares to Launch a Mesmerizing Report" by Marjory A. Bancroft

    THE VOICE OF LOVE Project is a national network of more than 100 volunteers who support interpreting for survivors of torture, trauma and sexual violence.

    The project began in January 2010 and is gearing up to release its first work product in November 2010. This report will detail the real-life challenges that face interpreters and providers in the areas of "extreme" interpreting. It will include compelling anecdotes, surprises, heartbreaking quotes, and the voice of experience.

    To the best knowledge of the project's Authors' Committee, this report constitutes the first such document of its kind in the U.S., and possibly the world. It addresses interpreting for survivors of extreme trauma, whether in mental health, legal, social services or medical interpreting.

    The report is based on two online surveys as well as 16 focus groups held across the country by a number of nonprofit health care, torture and trauma and refugee resettlement organizations. Focus group participants included:

    • Interpreters in mental health interpreting, refugee resettlement and torture and trauma services (six of the 16 groups)

    • Services providers and staff who serve Limited English Proficient clients in these services (eight groups)

    • Survivors of torture and trauma and/or their family members and friends (two groups)

    THE VOICE OF LOVE Project was launched in January 2010. Its volunteers include clinicians and therapists, torture and trauma center staff, interpreters (medical, legal, general/community and legal interpreters), national specialists in interpreter training, case managers, refugee resettlement staff, university professors, school staff, and many others.

    The upcoming report is part of larger goal: to create a specialized three-day training on how to interpret for survivors of torture, trauma and sexual violence. The goal is to complete this program together with a participant manual and trainer's guide by December 2011.

    In addition, the project plans to produce two brief guides by the end of December 2010: one for interpreters who work with survivors, and the other for staff (such as clinicians, attorneys and caseworkers) who work with survivors and interpreters. All materials produced by the project will be made available free of charge to anyone who supports survivors. These materials may also help interpreters and staff who work with refugees, asylees, survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence, and clients in mental and behavioral health services.

    The project is spearheaded by Marjory Bancroft, Director of Cross-Cultural Communications, (www.cultureandlanguage.net), and Karen Hanscom, Executive Director of Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma, (www.astt.org).

    For more information about the THE VOICE OF LOVE Project, please visit http://www.cultureandlanguage.net/index.php/voice-of-love-project/.

    To join the mailing list for the report's release in November, 2010, or for questions about the project, please contact either Marjory Bancroft, mbancroft@cultureandlanguage.net, 410-312-5599 or Karen Hanscom, klh@astt.org, 410-464-9006.


    October 2010 News, Language and Cultural Items
    Pooch News


    Selected News of the Month

    More Language Line Services news here >>


    We Are Hiring! Join Language Line Services
    Career Interpreters


    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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