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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Claire C. Jones, MEd, Training & Development, Health Federation of Philadelphia, 1211 Chestnut Street -- ste. 700, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215.977.8996, cjones@healthfederation.org

Hospitals and outpatient clinics face increasing challenges in serving cultural and linguistic minorities. Healthcare systems respond by offering oral language access through contracted interpreters, telephonic interpretation services or bilingual staff/volunteers. While these strategies are essential, lack of appropriate practice standards and training for involved staff and absence of clear policies can increase cost and potential liability. During the past nine years, one Philadelphia nonprofit public health organization has worked with approximately thirty institutions to define protocols, standards and workforce competencies to address these issues.

Analysis of data collected over a two-year period, encompassing training of four hundred providers and three hundred interpreters working in eight healthcare/human service organizations, suggests implementation of options beyond training interpreters to establish sustainable language access programs.

This session will discuss a systems-based strategic model in which interpreter training is only one component of creating a linguistically accessible, culturally competent environment. Other interventions include needs assessment, policy development, information dissemination, Grand Rounds presentations, and staff/provider training interventions. Continuous Quality Improvement is an essential program component to institutionalize best practices. Through data analysis, thoughtful dialog with leaders about experiences and results, and periodic reassessment of needs and performance, healthcare institutions are able to sustain the impact of these initiatives to improve access and quality of care. A case study involving a greater Philadelphia-area hospital will illustrate how hospital leadership and mono- and bi-lingual staff at all levels participate actively in implementing a dynamic language access initiative.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to

• Describe the limitations of language acces policy focused on interpretation only.
• List the components of a systems-based language access strategy.
• Apply the model to his/her own institution.

Keywords: Access, Immigrants

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation