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November 22, 2004
Geri Koeppel, The Arizona Republic
Excerpt:
A national program is trying to make it easier for everyone to navigate health care facilities by creating a universal set of symbols.
JRC Design, a small Phoenix firm, is leading the way.
Think of the "man" and "woman" icons on restroom doors, only these new symbols would represent words like "waiting room" or "pediatrics." The symbols will likely become the standard for health care signs everywhere.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC ARTICLE
November 16, 2004
Joann Loviglio, Associated Press Writer
Excerpt:
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Romualdo Rivera arrives at the emergency room with what seems to be a complaint of chest pain. But it's hard to be sure -- he doesn't speak English.
A pale but solidly built man with thinning, gray hair, his face reddens as his shirt is removed, his pant legs are pushed up and electrodes are attached to his calves and chest.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE
November 4, 2004
Excerpt:
Dr. Paola Dussias, an assistant professor of Spanish and psychology at Penn State University, is not just bilingual, she's trilingual, "I have used all the languages, Spanish, Italian, English, all of the languages in all of my daily life." Research shows that as she ages that will give her an edge over people who speak just one language-or monolinguals.
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September 24th 2004
Janine DeFao, Chronicle Staff Writer
Excerpt:
While nearly 37 percent of Alameda County residents speak a language other than English at home, they may have trouble finding someone who can communicate with them at a local hospital.
Only four of 13 hospitals in the county employ their own interpreters, according to a survey released Thursday by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The remainder rely on telephone interpreters, bilingual employees not trained as translators, and patients' family and friends.
Actual Report:
Report on Translation Services at Local Hospitals
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors released a report detailing the level of available professional translation services available in hospitals in the County. “The State of Hospital Language Assistance Services in Alameda County”found that only four of 13 hospitals surveyed in Alameda County employ professional interpreters, although 37% of county residents speak a language other than English at home. The remaining hospitals use telephone interpreters, bilingual employees and patients’family members and friends to provide these services. For copies of the report, contact luellap@chcn-eb.org.
CLICK HERE TO READ SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE ARTICLE
September 17th 2004
Excerpt:
Atlanta, GA - A report released today by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) finds that, contrary to conventional belief and despite the explosive growth of the population, Hispanics in the South are underutilizing public heath care services throughout the region. The report, The Health of Latino Communities in the South: Challenges and Opportunities, includes the perspectives of health care professionals and members of the community and notes that Hispanics are reluctant to use public health care programs and facilities due to barriers such as lack of information about available services; lack of insurance; insufficient numbers of bilingual, bicultural personnel in the healthcare arena; and disparate treatment.
CLICK HERE TO READ NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA ARTICLE
September 14th 2004
This article 1st appeared on 2004-09-14 in HHN Magazine online site
The Language Barrier, Part2
By David Ollier Weber
Excerpt:
The Language Barrier, Part 2
By David Ollier Weber
An unlikely hospital system has found a sustainable way to help caregivers and patients from different cultures speak on the same wavelength.
Editor's note: This article is the second of a two-part series on how hospitals respond to immigrant populations. Last week, we explored physicians' reluctance to address the situation. This week, we look at one organization, Greenville (S.C.) Health System, which has developed a novel approach to providing skilled interpreters.
CLICK HERE TO READ HOSPITALS AND HEALTH NETWORKS ARTICLE
August 20th 2004
Excerpt:
(Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. –August 20, 2004) The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations today announced the establishment of a panel of national experts to assist in a major study of hospital efforts to address cultural and linguistic issues that impact the quality and safety of patient care. The two-and-one-half year project, funded by The California Endowment, is the first comprehensive study to explore what hospitals are doing to address the cultural and linguistic needs of patients.
CLICK HERE TO READ JOINT COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION OF HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS ARTICLE
April 27th 2004
Excerpt:
A new D.C. law directs city agencies to produce their documents in a variety of languages for about 38,000 residents who do not speak or read English well. Under the Language Access Act, city agencies must provide translation services in languages spoken by at least 500 residents or by at least 3 percent of persons a given agency serves or is likely to serve, whichever is less. Translation services will not be provided for smaller groups of residents.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE WASHINGTON TIMES ARTICLE
April 14th 2004
Excerpt:
Because she happens to speak Spanish, Minerva Rojas is often asked to interpret for patients with limited English proficiency at the Capitol Hill Health Center in Providence. In the past, Rojas would typically tell the doctor the gist of what the patient was saying, rather than translating every word, assuming that since she knew the patient well, she was getting the idea across. Patients would often speak with the experienced patient-services representative, rather than the doctor, confiding and saying things like, "don't tell the doctor." Now, though, Rojas says, "I have to be invisible, to keep eye contact between the patient and the doctor."
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PROVIDENCE PHOENIX ARTICLE
February 27, 2004
Excerpt:
The author recognises and emphasizes the need for billingual interpreters, workers and doctors at Medico Institutions.. Now other providers are working to make sure interpreters are always at hand for the Memphis area's rapidly growing Hispanic population. The article mentions the efforts of our Grantee the MED at Memphis.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL ARTICLE (Registration Required)
February 20, 2004
Excerpt:
This article by Maura Fogarty highlights a new survey of New York's public school system finds that language barriers are preventing immigrant parents from being adequately involved in their children's education. According to the report, called Denied at the Door, immigrant parents who wanted to be more involved in their children's education often faced obstacles due to their limited English skills. The two main sponsors of the survey, the New York Immigration Coalition and Advocates for Children, say New York city schools are not doing enough to effectively communicate with parents.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VOICE OF AMERICA ARTICLE
February 17, 2004
Excerpt:
This story highlghts the struggles of Daniel Rivera, a child who spent six months in Stormont-Vail's NICU, and his parents Maria and Alejandro Rivera. Neither parent speaks much English. To be sure they had the knowledge to care for Daniel, the parents turned to Language Assistance Telemedicine, a Houston company that provides translators with medical backgrounds.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE CHANNEL 13 NEWS STORY
February 17, 2004
Excerpt:
This story about Stanford University student Chitua Alozie describes the young woman's experiences in the emergency room at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Alozie is one of a cadre of college students at the heart of an unusual program that offers extra hands to doctors and nurses at three area hospitals. In exchange, students who aspire to medical school get a rare glimpse into the world of clinical medicine.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE SAN JOSE MERCURY STORY
February 16, 2004
Excerpt:
This article describes the controversy surrounding a recently released report about health care disparities for minorities, which was edited by the Health and Human Services Department to downplay serious problems and emphasize improvements.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE YAHOO.COM ARTICLE
February 10, 2004
Excerpt:
This article describes the findings of a national survey conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation who found mixed support for the collection of racial and ethnic data in order to help address disparities in the quality of health. The survey revealed that African Americans are more skeptical than Latinos or Asian Americans about the benefits of collecting this data.
Key Findings (Summary)
Key Findings (Complete report)
CLICK HERE TO READ THE RWJF NEWS RELEASE
January 30, 2004
Excerpt:
This article in the Providence Journal documents how The Su Salud project, a language services collaborative among Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island and five partners, achieved a major milestone when 30 interpreters completed the state's first Spanish language medical-interpreter training program.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL ARTICLE (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
January 12,2004
Excerpt:
This article by Damon Adams highlights the findings of a recent John Hopkins study that found patients who share the same race as their doctor feel more satisfied with the encounter. moreover, doctors that are the same race as their patients will likely spend an average of two minutes longer with same-race patients. Johns Hopkins researchers made these conclusions after examining the visits of black and white patients to black and white physicians in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas. Their report appeared in the Dec. 2, 2003, Annals of Internal Medicine. Health experts said the new study highlights the difference that race can make in health care experiences.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE AMEDNEWS.COM ARTICLE
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