All hospitals in Tulsa have translators available for patients who speak little or no English, but only one hospital has a certified interpreter.

The difference can mean a better cultural understanding and a safer, more satisfying experience for all involved.

Cesar Peña, a certified medical interpreter for St. Francis Health Services, has been on the job for about five years.

He was inspired to enter the field after watching his father, who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fail to understand his doctors' instructions.

"Every time we went to different places, they didn't have an interpreter," he said.

Peña graduated from Oral Roberts University with a degree in Spanish and became certified as a medical interpreter. He began working for clinics in Tulsa before landing the job at St. Francis.

He was recently awarded the 2011 Interpreter of the Year award from the International Medical Interpreters Association.

"Every interpreter must also be an advocate for the patient and a cultural ambassador," he said.

Peña is also on call for any Spanish speakers who come into the emergency room.

There, he usually has to interpret instantaneously and must be quick and accurate. Anything can happen, he said.

Read the rest of this Tulsa Word article by Shannon Muchmore, World Staff Writer here>>

2010 Census statistics have steadily been released over the past weeks, with major online media outlets like the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the New York Times leading the way with very clever and interactive online maps.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here for your enjoyment, are the best 2010 Census interactive maps we've found so far*.

New York Times

Browse population growth and decline, changes in racial and ethnic concentrations, and patterns of housing development. Just glide your cursor over the map and it displays every county. Can't imagine how long it took to create this map!

USA Today

In addition to its primary map, USA Today's special online 2010 Census presentation offers a wealth of other interactive maps, photos, videos, state-by-state, county-by-county statistics. Take a look.

Wall Street Journal

The "Journal" takes a different slant, investigating each state's population change, population density and how this will be used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

No ethnic numbers here for those of us who service limited English speakers, but it does offer comparable numbers going back to the 1910 Decennial Census Year.

* If you have seen other interactive maps from the 2010 Census, let us and your fellow readers know by emailing us at newsletter@languageline.com - Thank you!

Another featured article from one of our favorite sources of language, culture and immigration information and insight, the Migration Information Source.

While the trans-Atlantic slave trade brought large numbers of Africans to the United States as forced migrants from the 16th to the 19th centuries, significant voluntary migration from Africa to the United States did not begin in earnest until the 1980s.

From 1980 to 2009, the African-born population in United States grew from just under 200,000 to almost 1.5 million. Today, Africans make up a small (3.9 percent) but growing share of the country's 38.5 million immigrants.

The top countries of origin for the African born were Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, and Kenya.

• In 2009, about 1.5 million African immigrants resided in the United States.
• African immigrants made up 3.9 percent of all immigrants in 2009.
• Nearly two-thirds of African immigrants were from Eastern or Western Africa in 2009.
• The top countries of origin for African immigrants were Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, and Kenya.
• Over one-third of all African immigrants resided in New York, California, Texas, and Maryland.
• Almost one-quarter of the African-born population lived in the metropolitan areas of New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
• About one in five immigrants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan area was born in Africa.
• There were 3.5 million self-identified members of the African diaspora residing in the United States in 2009.

To learn more, visit this page at Migration Information Source. >>

Joint Commission Journal Findings Show Need for Automation to Improve Safety, Quality

Oakbrook Terrace, IL, Oct 17, 2011 (MarketWire) -- Differences in the quality and safety of medical treatment that minorities receive could be reduced through the better use of health information technology (HIT), according to a new article published in the October 2011 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety(TM).

An accompanying editorial calls for automating and standardizing the data collection about a patient's race, ethnicity, and language to identify and address inequities in the quality of care for minorities.

The article, "Bridging the Digital Divide in Health Care: The Role of Health Information Technology in Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities," contends that the U.S. health care system is not well designed to provide equitable care.

Authors or the article recommend that health care organizations take the following steps:

• Automate and standardize the collection of race/ethnicity and language data.
• Prioritize use of the data for identifying disparities and tailoring quality improvement efforts.
• Focus HIT efforts to address fragmented care delivery for racial/ethnic minorities and limited-English-proficiency patients.
• Develop focused computerized clinical decision support systems in clinical areas with significant health disparities.
• Include input from racial/ethnic minorities and those with limited English proficiency in developing patient HIT tools.

The recommendations are intended to address the root causes for disparities in care for minority patients.

Read the rest of this news release at MarketWatch.com here >>

This new feature for "In Other Words" is a selection of "tweets" this month from Language Line Services.

Are you on Twitter? Follow us here and here. Thanks!

• @natalykelly - Thank you Nataly for contributing to: http://bloom.bg/pRR8i3 - So many don't even realize interpretation exists


• 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer! Join us in supporting "Breast Cancer Awareness" Month http://t.co/ih85NCMW @AmericanCancer


• From limited English to #CCDS student body prez in 3 years. Meet Zi Yang in the Charlotte Observer http://bit.ly/vbwQs9


• Why doctors should be careful on Twitter http://t.co/sz9UqSTJ via @kevinmd


• Interpreter requests for Karen spoken by 1.3 million people in Myanmar jumped 90 percent in Indianapolis http://tinyurl.com/3ht67hx


• (InfoGraphic) - Get your copy of this newest report infographic from Language...http://t.co/EI1Vr9Fc


• YWCA event breaks down domestic violence via @thecolumbian http://bit.ly/shaQge

If you liked these, why not follow us at @LanguageLine and @LouisProvenzano

• Language Line Services' Report Reveals Spike in Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese and Russian Interpreter Requests Nationwide


• "Language Line Plans a Roll-Up as Translation Demand Soars" by Bloomberg Businessweek


• Language Line Services Names Global Sales Management Veteran Robert Koen New VP, General Manager of Enterprise Market Sales


• Language Line Services now tweeting in five languages - Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish


• Language Line Services names Fred Moyle vice president and general manager for Healthcare Market Sales


• FEMA hires Language Line LLC to cope with deluge of non-English speaking storm victims

Read 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.

Over-the-phone, Certified Medical Spanish Interpreters (CMI) to work from home in the U.S. Must have passed the National Medical Interpreter Certification Exam or be CMI certified through Language Line Services.

We are very actively seeking two experienced on-site interpreters in Contra Costa County, California. One in Punjabi, the other in Farsi. Formal training/certification preferred.

As for work-at-home, over-the-phone interpreters, we have openings, especially in Spanish, and in a number of other languages. Please visit the "Careers" section of our website for current interpreter openings.

And, finally, top Corporate opportunities, all in Monterey, CA include:

• Database Administrator-MS SQL Server
• Payroll Specialist
• Tax Manager
• Sales Associate
• Payroll Specialist

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 up every week. Visit our Career Center here >>

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