Health and Language Access Program

Language Access in Health Care Symposium

REACH NOLA, in partnership with the Louisiana Language Access Coalition, Tulane University School of Medicine Office of Community Affairs and Health Policy, LSUHSC School of Public Health and sponsoring organizations, held a day-long symposium bringing together Louisiana and the national dialogue on language access in health care on May 18th, 2011 in New Orleans. This event was free and open to the public public with over 200 participants, including healthcare providers, administrators, policy makers, advocates, interpreters and limited English proficient patients. A key-note presentation was given by DHHS Office for Civil Rights Director Georgina Verdugo, and 12 expert presentations were made.

Interpreter Training

REACH NOLA, with several Catholic Charities Spirit of Hope and several other partners, held four interpreter trainings, free and open to the public between January and June of 2011, and there is an active group of interpreters meeting on an ongoing basis. If you are interested in participating contact us.

Healthcare Provider Trainings
"Language Access and the Law & Communicating Effectively with Interpreters and Limited English Proficient Patients"

REACH NOLA co-hosted with the Louisiana Hospital Association (LHA) a series of educational session across Louisiana, free and open to the public, with free nursing CEUs provided through the LHA. Ongoing trainings in health and social service settings as well as the school system are scheduled as needed and upon request.

When your HIV-infected patient doesn't speak English - HIV Clinician

Why Are Language Services Important in Health Care? A Case For New Orleans (PDF)

Barriers to quality care are significant for all uninsured and underinsured residents of New Orleans. Individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) face the added difficulty of poor communication. Communication is a critical element of patient safety and quality care. Communication barriers between provider and patient lead to decreased use of preventive services, misuse of services, and higher rates of hospitalization and drug complications. The REACH NOLA Health and Language Access Project seeks to address the wider issue of access to quality care and disparities in health status for LEP individuals by eliminating barriers to effective communication.

The REACH NOLA Health and Language Access Program:

• Seeks to address barriers to healthcare, and improve healthcare access and quality of care among limited English proficient (LEP) individuals;
• Offers on-site training for medical providers and clinic staff regarding effective use of interpreters and managing an LEP encounter;
• Provides tools and resources to healthcare clinics and provider organizations for language access services and ongoing quality improvement;
• Provides consultation and technical services to healthcare clinics and provider organizations on development of language-friendly services.

Project Contact: Katrina Badger, MPH, GSW
Email: katrinabadger@yahoo.com (937) 657-5462