218805 Using the Health Care Language Services Implementation Guide: An intervention tool for increasing language access in health care environments

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM

Guadalupe Pacheco, MSW , Office of the Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, Rockville, MD
Ilana Dickman, MPH , Health & Civil Services Sector, SRA International, Inc., Rockville, MD
Jennifer Kenyon , Health and Civil Services Sector, SRA International, Inc., Rockville, MD
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.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Public health administration or related administration

Learning Objectives:
- Define cultural competency and language access services. - Discuss the laws, policies, and regulations relating to language access services. - Describe the four steps for implementing language access services in a health care organization.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Literacy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am responsible for managing multiple projects that address health disparities of racial and ethnic minority communities, and additionally I staff cultural competency activities through the Office of Minority Health’s Center for Linguistic and Cultural Competence in Health Care.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.