Two Noted Healthcare Language Access Advocates Join Language Line Services

MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Language Line Services, the leading provider of interpreting and language solution services, today announced that Douglas Green, founding board member and director of outreach for the Texas Association of Health Care Interpreters and Translators (TAHIT), and Oscar Arocha, director of Boston Medical Center's Interpreter Services Department, have joined the company as the newest additions to the growing talent within the healthcare division. In their new roles, Green and Arocha will help Language Line Services continue its public policy push towards reimbursement of healthcare language access programs and requirement that all interpreters working in the hospital setting be certified medical interpreters.

A trusted consultant on language access and organizational compliance with Joint Commission, state, and federal regulations for healthcare organizations, Douglas Green has spent much of the last eight years championing the cause of quality and accessible healthcare for limited-English speaking patients. During his tenures with Texas-based MasterWord Services, Inc., and Translation Source, Green oversaw the development of one of the largest face-to-face interpreting programs in the southern United States and created several innovative programs designed to improve language access in healthcare. He developed the business case for language access in healthcare and has been repeatedly called upon to speak on the economics of language access, including providing expert witness testimony before the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. Green will continue these efforts as a Senior Sales Executive with Language Line Services.

Oscar Arocha brings more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare sector to Language Line Services, where he will serve as Senior Executive, Global Strategic Initiatives. Previously the director of the largest and oldest interpreter services department in the United States, Arocha oversaw nearly 200,000 interpreter requests per year. Boston Medical Center became the epicenter for advances in the delivery of care to limited-English speaking patients and a bellwether for the latest technologies available to the industry under his leadership. A national and international language access consultant, Arocha has presented at numerous conferences and been sought as a consultant on the development of comprehensive language service programs and language quality measures, most notably by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation where he served on the National Advisory Committees for their "Speaking Together" program in 2006, and the current "Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q)" initiatives. Arocha serves on the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) Executive Board, he chaired the organization's Certification Committee, as well as the Corporate Division. Arocha serves on the Advisory Board of Boston University's Interpreter Program.

"We are proud to welcome Mr. Green and Mr. Arocha to the Language Line Services team," said Louis Provenzano, President and COO of Language Line Services. "Their depth of experience and shared passion to improve healthcare for all patient populations will be an invaluable asset to the company, the more than 12,000 healthcare customers we serve and their patients, and our current pursuit of federally mandated reimbursement for the services of certified medical interpreters."

"I am excited about the opportunity to work for an organization that has made such incredible strides within the healthcare interpreting field," said Green. "Once examined, the economics for reimbursement of language access programs are undisputable, and with the backing and resources of Language Line Services, I am optimistic that federal leaders will champion this cause."

"Because of increased awareness and commitment to language rights, demand for these services continues to grow around the world. Language Line Services and its industry partners are best positioned to improve outcomes for all who require language services," added Arocha.

About Language Line Services

Language Line Services, the global leader in telephone interpreting and language solutions, serves clients in government, healthcare, telecom, financial services, insurance and many other industries by quickly connecting them to their customers, patients and sales prospects in more than 170 spoken languages as well as American and Mexican sign language. Growth of the language interpreting industry has soared with increased immigration and government regulatory policies mandating that organizations provide services to limited English speakers in their own languages. Language Line Services is recognized as a trusted partner to thousands of clients throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, providing access to the industry's fastest language interpreting service at highly competitive rates. For more information about Language Line Services' suite of telephone and video interpreting, document translation, interactive software-based translation, interpreter assessment and training programs, please call +1 (800) 752-6096 or visit http://www.languageline.com.

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SOURCE Language Line Services