Language Line Services to Collaborate With Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy on Annual Conference in Austin

MONTEREY, Calif., March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Language Line Services, the world's leading provider of translation and interpretation services, will collaborate with the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy (SHCA) as a key sponsor at its 2012 Annual Conference in Austin, Texas set for April 17-20, 2012. SHCA is a nonprofit patient advocacy organization affiliated with the American Hospital Association.

"This is one of the most highly anticipated events for patient care," said Louis F. Provenzano, Jr., President and CEO of Language Line Services. "The level of professionalism is unmatched as SHCA brings together the industry's top experts. We are honored and privileged to be invited to collaborate with them."

The conference attracts nearly 250 attendees from hospitals and health organizations across the country, including professionals in guest and interpreter services, patient advocacy, service excellence, and quality and complaint management. It's the premier educational conference for patient advocates, featuring sessions on issues such as resolving patient complaints, language access plans for limited-English speakers, emergency room customer service, the communications needs of diverse patient populations and family support programs.

Language Line Services is the largest provider of language access solutions to the U.S. healthcare industry, currently fielding more than 80,000 interpretation calls daily from healthcare providers, including 41 of the top 50 U.S. healthcare organizations.

Last year, the company launched its Language Access Center for Excellence, which has experts available to speak on key issues facing healthcare providers - legal and regulatory compliance (including the new Joint Commission standards for effective communication), implementing language access programs, interpreter certification and training, incorporating technology into patient-centered programs, cost-efficiency models for budget-sensitive healthcare organizations, and lobbying and advocacy efforts, among others.

Its mission to champion issues important to healthcare customers is also reflected in the co-development of the nations first national Certification for Medical Interpreters (CMI) and independent National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, which Language Line Services co-founded in 2009 with the International Medical Interpreters Association.

The Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy is pleased to collaborate with Language Line Services on the 2012 Annual Conference. "As patient advocates we value the services such as those provided by Language Line as they support our efforts to improve the patient experience," said Amy Wellington, SHCA President and Director of Patient and Guest Relations at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Boca Raton, FL.

For more information on the SHCA 2012 Annual Conference, visit http://www.shca-aha.org/shca-aha/events/annual.html.

About Language Line Services

Language Line Services, the global leader in language solutions for over 30 years, serves clients in government, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, retail and many other industries in more than 170 spoken and written languages, as well as American Sign Language (ASL) and Mexican Sign Language (LSM). Language Line Services is recognized as a trusted partner to thousands of public and private organizations throughout the world, providing easy access to the industry's most dynamic and comprehensive suite of language solutions that drive a strong return on investment. Language Line Services is known for solving customers' complex language communication issues with leading services that include telephone, on-site and video interpreting, translation and localization, as well as interpreter assessment and training programs. Please call (800) 752-6096 or visit www.languageline.com  

About the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy

The Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy (SHCA) is a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association. SHCA is dedicated to healthcare patient advocacy professionals, as well as physicians, nurses, social workers and all staff of hospitals, home health agencies, long-term care facilities and other health-related organizations. SHCA uses its position within the American Hospital Association to support members with legislative representation and advocacy, and provide information and exposure via AHA News Now; the AHA Resource Center; and the AHA Web Site -- providing connections to services, information and members through the most comprehensive association for healthcare organizations.

Contact:         

Carla Collado
Olmstead Williams Communications
310.824.9000
[email protected]
www.olmsteadwilliams.com

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SOURCE Language Line Services