New York Medical College Deploys E-Learning Tool to Help Future Medical Professionals Overcome Spanish Language Barriers

NEW YORK, Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- LanguageMate® is proud to announce the institution-wide deployment of Canopy™ Medical Spanish at New York Medical College (NYMC). Canopy™ is an innovative e-learning program designed to enable current and future medical professionals to communicate more effectively with Spanish-speaking patients. Research and development of the program was funded by grants awarded to LanguageMate® by the National Institutes of Health. Canopy™ will be demonstrated during the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Annual Meeting at booth #403 from November 7-8 at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC.

Clear communication between patients and providers is of utmost importance, particularly in emergency situations when a misunderstanding could have adverse consequences. Language barriers between these parties are a significant source of frustration and adversely impact quality of care. According to the US Census Bureau, 12 percent of the population speaks Spanish and more than 13.8 million are limited English proficient (LEP) making the US the world's second-largest Spanish-speaking population. As the Hispanic community continues to grow rapidly throughout the country, communicating effectively with this patient population has become increasingly important.

Dr. Jennifer Koestler, NYMC's Associate Dean for Medical Education, is extremely enthusiastic about adding Canopy™ as a learning option for the students. Dr. Koestler explains, "Canopy will allow more of our students to acquire skills in medical Spanish. The system is particularly attractive because of its flexibility; students will be able to learn at their own pace and on their own time."  

In addition to providing a flexible option to learning medical Spanish, Canopy™ provides busy students with in-depth personalized feedback and a robust set of exercises. LanguageMate® Founder and President, Bill Z. Tan, highlights the core of the Canopy™ platform, stating, "Unlike traditional language learning software, Canopy™ has a laser-sharp focus on equipping medical professionals with the knowledge to communicate with LEP patients in a competent and culturally relevant manner. We're very excited to work with industry leaders such as NYMC to help equip medical professionals with the necessary skills to succeed in an increasingly multi-cultural world."

For more information about Canopy™, please visit www.CanopyMedicalSpanish.com or call 212-274-1654 x33.

About LanguageMate®

LanguageMate® is a leading developer of communication solutions in the health care field. The company's mission is to create tools that enable health care institutions to enhance quality of care and improve patient satisfaction. LanguageMate® has received more than a dozen Small Business Innovation Research grants from the NIH since 2004 to transform the delivery of health education and health services.

SOURCE LanguageMate