Wisconsin Minority Health Program

External Resources
for Language Access

All external hyperlinks are provided for your information and or the general public. The Department of Health Services does not testify to, sponsor, or endorse the accuracy of the information provided on externally linked pages.

Spotlight

Language Access Plan: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published its 2013 Language Access Plan (HHS LAP) ensuring access to the Department's programs and activities to people with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Hmong Health - A resource from the Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center.

Improving Patient-Provider Communication. (Video) Amid growing concerns about racial, ethnic and language disparities in health care, The Joint Commission and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights have developed this video to support language access in health care organizations.

International Medical Interpreters Association
The International Medical Interpreters Association is a nonprofit organization providing a forum and a clearinghouse of information. It also provides networking, education and training opportunities for its professional medical interpreter membership.

National Council on Interpreting in Health Care - NCIHC
The National Council on Interpreting in Health Care is a multidisciplinary organization based in the United States whose mission is to promote culturally competent professional health care interpreting as a means to support equal access to health care for individuals with limited English proficiency.

Online Health Literacy Training for Health Professionals.
Unified Health Communication 101: Addressing Health Literacy, Cultural Competency, and Limited English Proficiency is a free online learning experience designed to help health professionals improve their patient-communication skills, increase their awareness and knowledge of factors that affect their communication with patients, and implement patient-centered communication practices. The course, developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), comprises five modules and is estimated to take a total of 5 hours to complete. The course may be completed at the user's own pace and may be taken for credit (CEU/CE, CHES, CME, and CNE) or not for credit. More information and registration instructions are available from HRSA.

Standards in Support of Language and Culture. The Joint Commission views the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services as an important quality and safety issue and a key element in individual-centered care. It is well recognized that the individual’s involvement in care decisions is not only an identified right, but a necessary source of accurate assessment and treatment information.

Wisconsin Coalition for Linguistic Access to Healthcare (WCLAH)
The Wisconsin Coalition for Linguistic Access to Healthcare is a statewide coalition formed in the summer of 2003 in response to Wisconsin's growing demand for medical interpreting.

Ruth DeWeese

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Last Revised: April 10, 2013

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

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