It’s simply a matter of Quality Health Care and Patient Safety!
Imagine receiving treatment in a language you cannot understand, and how vulnerable, confused, or frustrated you would feel if you could not communicate with your doctor or health care team.
Kaiser Permanente has long recognized the critical role of culturally and linguistically competent health care interpreters during the clinical interface between the non or limited-English proficient patient and the health care team. The qualified interpreter bridges cultural & linguistic divides to foster understanding, comfort and trust that ultimately results in higher levels of service delivery and treatment adherence leading to improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction.
School Showcase:
HCI Graduation 2012 at City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco started its Health Care Interpreter Certificate Program in 1996. On May 20th, 2011...
Read More & Watch the Graduate Speech Videos! >>
HCI Publication
Case Study: The Language of Diversity (Tang, G., Lanza, O., and Rodriguez, FM. (2011) Diversity Executive (May/June): 44-46. Retrieved 06/02/2011)
The Kaiser Permanente Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment Initiative: Research and Development in Patient-provider Language Concordance (Tang, G., Lanza, O., Rodriguez, FM, Chang, A. (2011). Am J Public Health (Feb);101(2):205-8. )
Latest Health Care Interpreter News
Latest HCI related news from across the country. Please also check the News section of our site for other news and archives.
Health care for refugees can be challenging (04/23/2012, Utica Obsever-Dispatch, Utica, NY)
Pro translators help avoid medical errors (04/19/2012, FierceHealthcare.com)
Interpreters in ER may limit medical erros, study suggests (04/18, 2012, FoxNews.com)
Language World services provides interpretation for health providers, patients (04/13/2012, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento, CA)
After year's loss, Martha's Vineyard Hospital trims costs (04/11/2012, MVTimes.com, Martha's Vineyard, MA)
Washington Physicians Fought Successfully for Patient Access to Care and Patient Safety Legislation (04/11/2012, PRNewswire.com)
Honduran girl's life-saving heart surgery in Memphis not just serendipity (04/08/2012, The Commerchal Appeal, Memphis, TN)
Brampton Punjabi blood-donation clinic a first (04/06/2012, TheStar.com, Toronto, ON, Canada)
Language barrier is putting foreign patients at risk, (03/22/2012, This Is Hull and East Riding, Hull, United Kingdom)
Team with 38 Jackson-area members headed to Guatemala for medical, construction mission (02/11/2012, Mlive.com, Michigan)