Using the Health Care Language Services Implementation Guide: An intervention tool for increasing language access in health care environments

According to census data, approximately one in four Americans speaks a language other than English at home. Given this growing statistic, it is imperative that organizations provide information in both culturally and linguistically competent ways. To help organizations implement effective language access services (LAS) to meet the needs of their language minority patients, thereby increasing their access to health care, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health (OMH) sponsored the development of the Health Care Language Services Implementation Guide (HCLSIG). The HCLSIG lays out the basic steps for implementing LAS, and the process for carrying out each step is explained in detail and supplemented with links to resources and tips on alternative ways to complete the step. This session is designed to help health care administrators and organizations develop and implement effective language access services. This session will use multiple learning strategies including interactive discussion and completion of planning documents, to provide participants with concrete strategies to implement LAS within their health care organizations. Participants will be able to educate those within their organization on the importance of LAS and how to use the HCLSIG to conduct an initial assessment of their organization's current capabilities to provide these services. As communities and organizations evolve over time, the HCLSIG provides a framework and assists with the evolution of LAS. The HCLSIG can help you guide your organization on its mission to provide quality health care to all members of the community you serve, regardless of their language ability.