Avantpage sends its sincere congratulations to two of our clients, Kaiser Permanente and L.A. Care Health Plan, for receiving the 2009 "Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award" from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

The NCQA says the healthcare organizations have reached across cultural and language barriers to provide unique services for members that are a model for others to follow.

"One in five Americans speaks a language other than English at home. Racial and ethnic differences result in substantial health disparities for millions," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "It's imperative that health care reform efforts address the impact of disparities on the quality and cost of U.S. health care. These health plans are models for the nation, and NCQA is proud to recognize their innovations in multicultural health care."

We're so proud to work with these two healthcare organizations as they do the important work of reaching out to their members and improving communications with accurate and culturally sensitive services.

Click here to learn more about these 2009 "Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award" winning programs.

In response to the current regulatory climate, many companies are in need of translation services for the first time.

Avantpage has responded with a report on 10 industry "best practices" that will help any business navigate the process of obtaining, coordinating, and evaluating translation services. These best practices are especially relevant for companies in the healthcare industry.

Because Avantpage realizes how important it is to get things right from the beginning, included are tips for getting started, questions businesses need to ask at the start of the process, as well as potential pitfalls to avoid.

The complete report can be downloaded here. 

Despite the proclamations by some that United States health care leaves much to be desired, the U.S. is the destination of choice for hundreds of thousands choosing to leave their countries for medical procedures each year.

According to one study, in 2008, 3.5% of inpatient procedures in the U.S. were performed on international patients. In response to the linguistic challenges that such tourism presents, Avantpage Translations recently released Part I a special report called "Medical Tourism: A Linguistic Perspective."

Part II of the report deals with the considerations associated with inbound medical tourism, and reasons why hospitals and other health care providers should consider using a professional translation service. Hospitals in the U.S. have to ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws and other regulations designed to protect the non-English speaking consumer. At the same time, providers wish to create targeted marketing campaigns for specific groups as well as offer a "concierge" experience for each international patient.

Recognizing this, Avantpage offers a full complement of translation services to help providers attract foreign patients and provide the best service possible.

Read the complete Part I and Part II of our special report now. 

Avantpage has a full calendar of events over the next few months, where we're proud to exhibit at the conferences below. 

It's always gratifying to get together with other organizations, and discuss issues facing industries as diverse as government, education, and health care. Check out the events below--if you're attending don't forget to stop by our booth and leave your business card to enter our drawing for an iPod Shuffle!

We hope to see you and discuss how we can work together on your language assistance program and translations.

September

• 9/17-18: School Innovation & Advocacy's Cultivating Success Summit in Sacramento, CA
• 9/24: California Association of Physician Groups meeting in Oakland, CA

October

• 10/9-11: International Medical Interpreting Association (IMIA) 2009 International Conference on Medical Interpreting in Cambridge, MA
• 10/91-21: California Association of Health Plans' 24th Annual Conference in Palm Desert, CA
• 10/20-21: Federal Technology Center's Gov Link Conference 2009 in Sacramento, CA

November

• 11/18-19: California State Rural Health Association's 9th Annual Rural Health Conference in Sacramento, CA

Medical tourism is a hot healthcare trend, with hundreds of thousands of people choosing to leave their countries for medical procedures each year. It's even the subject of the newest thriller by Robin Cook, Foreign Body. According to some projections, up to six million Americans will journey overseas for medical procedures in 2010. In response to the linguistic challenges that such tourism (both inbound and outbound) presents, Avantpage Translations recently released a special report called "Medical Tourism: A Linguistic Perspective."

Part I of the report deals with the considerations associated with outbound medical tourism, and ways in which a professional translation service would be helpful, if not absolutely necessary. As patients choose healthcare providers overseas, there are a myriad of concerns involved. Last on the list should be worry that medical records or other documents have not been appropriately translated. Recognizing this, Avantpage offers a full complement of translation services to help patients and providers work together effectively.

Read the complete report now.  

Readying your text for translation can save you time and money and improve the quality of the resulting translations.

When you use words and images that are easy to understand and a presentation that is simple and inviting to read, your customers will better understand the document. When readers understand the material, they are more likely to respond favorably.

Click here for some tips to help you write accessible, easy-to-translate text.

Earlier this month we participated in the Berkeley Globalization Conference [Localization Industry and Association (LISA) @ Berkeley). Donald Barabé ­ Vice President, Canadian Government Translation Bureau, talked about emerging standards that the Canadian Government uses to denote 'Premium' documents--those requiring professional translation.

He stated, medical records fall into one of the criteria:

1. Documents produced by professionals.

The reasoning being that to do the end user justice, a document produced by a professional needs to be professionally translated.

It strikes us as a very appropriate standard!

To talk more about our impressions of conference and what we learned, contact us at luis@avantpage.com.

Here are some of other other quick impressions. It was an informative two days!

• Only 10% of the world's languages have a written form
• No translation equals no trade.
• The value of translation doubles every 5 years.
• Translation Memory (TM) plus Machine Translation (MT) is the combination of the future
• Localization is now for specific English-speaking markets
• Diaspora is crucial in a globalized world
• Google Translation is adding hundreds of servers every week
• Many countries have multiple national languages
• Machine Translation (MT) is great providing access to terminology
• The world language is translation and localization.

It has already become apparent to many companies that communication in diverse languages is imperative in order to build and maintain a global brand in the 21st century.

Less clear (at least to those not already acquainted with the translation industry) is the terminology associated with translation services. L10N, GILT, DTP, I18N... what does it all mean? 

Avantpage is here to help you navigate these sometimes confusing terms in a special report called "Translation 411: A Quick Guide To The Services You Need In The 21st Century Global Economy".  Avantpage's special report has been written as a service to help organizations better understand the terminology and the necessities of the globalization process.

We'll continue to examine all of the linguistic issues that affect business and keep our clients informed. You may also contact Avantpage at (530) 750-2040 or at info@avantpage.com for more information.

 

In today's global economy, it is an absolute necessity that your company be able to communicate to Spanish speakers of all cultures. Our priority as a premier Spanish translation provider is ensuring that your message is clear. Establishing a worldwide presence requires quality Spanish translation services that work for you - and nothing less. Our native-speaking Spanish translators understand that Spanish is a living language-a language with many different dialects and shades of meaning.  So whether you're doing business in Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Spain, or the United States, our sensitive Spanish translations will be just right for your audience.

Statistics show that by 2016, the Latino/Hispanic population will make up 16% of the entire United States workforce, or 26.2 million people, and by 2050, the Latino/Hispanic group will make up 30% of the US population. Establish a positive corporate image for your business in Latino/Hispanic communities by creating Spanish-language messaging that is on target linguistically as well as culturally.

Why is quality so important when it comes to Spanish translations? There is no margin for error. You have one opportunity to make a dynamic and lasting impression-a chance to show your Spanish-speaking audience that you understand who they are and what they want. High-quality translation will solidify your market position, strengthen your relationships with your audience, and more effectively brand your business.

At Avantpage, we are here so that you succeed. We partner with you every step of the way, offering responsive, accommodating, and flexible Spanish translation service designed to meet your objectives, exceed your standards, and to produce a consistent message that delivers. We take a personal interest in your business and provide you with exceptional Spanish language services in a variety of subjects such as medical/healthcare, financial, business and technical.

Decision-makers often ask us the question, "Why can't I just have one of my bilingual employees translate company materials?"
 
We have three important considerations for you and your organization.  

Read more here.