2011 viaLanguage Translation Grant Program Recipients Announced

Top Quote Akron Children's Hospital and Caring Health Center, Inc. Are Overcoming Language Challenges for US Refugee Populations. End Quote
  • (1888PressRelease) October 01, 2011 - viaLanguage, a leading provider of multilingual solutions for healthcare organizations, is pleased to announce the winners of its third annual Translation Grant, which honors innovative healthcare organizations that seek to improve healthcare access of underserved, ethnic communities. This year's recipients are the Akron Children's Hospital and Caring Health Center, Inc. The organizations will each receive $1,500 of in-kind translation services.

    The viaLanguage Translation Grant is a unique in-kind donation program awarding translation services to organizations that are working to provide language services and ultimately improve health care for communities with limited English proficiency. More than 60 million people - about one in five legal U.S. residents - speak a language other than English at home, and it's not all Spanish, with more than 176 different languages and dialects spoken across the country.

    "We feel strongly about giving back to the community and enabling better access to healthcare for all and through this grant, viaLanguage aspires to help innovative healthcare organizations improve the health and access to healthcare of underserved, ethnic communities," said Chanin Ballance, CEO of viaLanguage. "These two outstanding organizations embody our philosophy are working hard to tackle some of our country's biggest healthcare challenges."

    The Language Access Services (LAS) Program at Akron Children's Hospital (ACH) is a new program both within the institution and within the community in the Akron area. It was created in 2010 to address the need for centralization and coordination of language access initiatives and services. It is the only program of this kind in the entire community and serves as a resource for other area hospitals and organizations. The Akron area is a refugee resettlement area and as such significant diversity is reflected in the population served. The most frequently encountered populations served at ACH with limited English proficiency speak Nepali, Burmese or KaRen and Spanish.

    Caring Health Center, Inc. (CHC) is the second largest refugee health assessment site in the state of Massachusetts, serving populations from Vietnam, Russia, Iraq, Turkey, Bosnia, Ukraine, Somalia, Sudan, Liberia and other Eastern European, African and Middle Eastern countries. A total of 6,889 patients seen in 2010 were best served in a language other than English. Additionally, CHC is experiencing a rapid growth and increasing diversity in their immigrant populations. The needs of these refugees are great both in terms of medical care and in terms of getting acclimated to life in the U.S.

    About viaLanguage
    viaLanguage, is a leading provider of global healthcare translation and localization services. viaLanguage is committed to improving access to healthcare by removing language and cultural barriers that may prevent people from otherwise obtaining such care. Through the unique combination of its Online Language System (OLS), expert linguists and integration capabilities, viaLanguage offers organizations a comprehensive, affordable solution for meeting today's increasing need for effective multilingual communications. viaLanguage services are designed to help clients quickly and easily develop the very best multilingual Web sites, marketing materials, software applications and other global communications. Clients include: Blue Shield California, Regence, A-dec, HemCon Medical Technologies, Senior Whole Health, San Francisco Health Plan; as well as many hospitals, school districts and state governments. Headquarters are located at 700 SW Taylor Street, Suite 300 Portland, OR 97205-3016. For more information, visit www.vialanguage.com or call us at 503-243-2007.

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