Nearly one-third of U.S. hospitals fail to offer interpreters to patients who speak limited English, although federal law requires it, a new study shows.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act requires hospitals receiving federal funds - and that includes all hospitals - to provide language services to patients with limited English proficiency. Services could mean telephone translators, bilingual staff, professional on-site translators or video translators. 

KHA's Effective Communication in Hospitals Initiative developed a large amount of resources and materials to help hospitals meet these requirements including a visual interpreter pocket guide for health care professionals. The resources are available online at http://www.kyha.com/CM/Initiatives/Safety_and_Quality_Resources/Effective_Communication_in_Hospitals.aspx.

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LanguageLine (Pacific Interpreters) is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, August 2 for health care providers to learn about essential consumers’ rights under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and guidance on how to meet your obligations to protect the civil rights of Limited English Proficient and Deaf and Hard of Hearing populations.

The 60-minute webinar includes:

• An overview of the new requirements
• „Helpful tips for organizations seeking to comply „„
• Northeast Georgia Health System’s experience developing and implementing a language access plan

To register, visit https://engage.vevent.com/rt/languagelineservicesinc~080216.