Time and circumstance have a way of changing what once seemed like permanent, unimpeachable truths. Such is happening to our understanding of “minority” and “majority.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2042 those populations long termed minorities will finally outnumber the traditional majority.

Unfortunately, while we may be able to recognize change of this kind as it approaches, we often struggle when it comes to adapting our behavior to meet it. But the risks of moving too slowly in response to such changes can be profound, as those working healthcare know all too well.

Today’s limited English proficiency (LEP) populations continue to struggle when it comes to accessing healthcare services. And while the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) does address the issue, there is much more to be done to ensure LEP patients are served, and compliance requirements met.

viaLanguage is looking to help with a free webinar on Dec. 6 entitled, “Language Services in the New Millennium: Tips to ensure compliance and improve quality communications with non-English speakers.” The webinar will address the following:

• An overview of PPACA as it relates to language access in the healthcare field
• Real-life examples for ensuring secure, accurate and compliant translations
• Effective strategies for saving time and money on the translation process

Learn how to keep current with language access mandates, while still providing culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare communications. You can register here. We hope you can join us.

Till next time,
Steve
viaLanguage

In our last post, we addressed how health plans are being driven to incorporate e-Learning as a feature of ongoing training programs. As staff members are increasingly scattered across the globe, such curricula have become a critical tool for ensuring health plan sales teams, channel resellers and other partners have the most current information.

But there are challenges. So, if you’re considering or developing an e-Learning program for your health plan staff, here are a few tips to consider:

• Be choosy – Hire staff that not only fit the bill for a given job, but also demonstrate an ability to effectively work independently. Not everyone can.
• Adapt to the employee – It’s best to let the remote workers drive their schedule and routine. They are typically in the best position to make that call and will feel invested.
• Provide the right tools – Tools like email, smart phones, Internet, private networks, shared docs and software as a service (SaaS) applications are even more pivotal for remote workers, and they must be ready on day one.
• Start face to face – Success is so often about relationships, and those are best established in a face-to-face setting. First bring your far-flung staff together to build a sense of belonging and set expectations.
• Conduct training – If people are trained to use it, supporting technology can provide myriad benefits. From simultaneous chat to Skype to instant messaging tools like Yammer, these tools can help keep the team connected, engaged, and productive.

The move to a greater reliance on remote workers is under way across industries. As health plans adapt, keeping these key recommendations in mind will help smooth the transition and promote more effective e-Learning.

Till next time,
Steve
viaLanguage