Through SNI's Cultural and Linguistic Advisory Committee, SNI works to spread remote technology and other improvements in interpreter services throughout California's public hospitals. One activity led by SNI and the Committee was to enhance 10 public hospitals’ policies and procedures on language access using SNI’s publication, Straight Talk: Model Hospital Policies and Procedures on Language Access. This program was made possible through funding from The California Endowment and included the following two components:
The first was a Language Access Policy and Procedure Review that offered an opportunity for hospitals to conduct a review of their policies, procedures and real practices. The second was a Language Access Implementation component, which allowed hospitals that participated in the Policy and Procedure Review process to gain additional consulting and financial support for proposed language access improvements. These efforts have helped California’s public hospitals become national leaders in providing high quality, cost-effective language services.
The program was conducted in partnership with Paras & Associates, a nationally known expert on improving hospital-based language services.
For more information, contact
Boris Kalanj.