Our friend, Carolyn Wang Kong, MPH, MPP, Practice Leader, Language Access, Northern California Diversity, Kaiser Permanente, will be participating in a noon-time panel presentation on September 24th at the Commonwealth Club of California. 

The topic of discussion is Cross-Cultural Health Care: Caring in All Languages. The event will address how doctors and patients can overcome the language barriers to enable and enhance access to health care. Come hear how technology is helping doctors and patients communicate through cyberspace.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California has done excellent work in this area, and we're sure Carolyn Wang Kong and the rest of the panel will present an interesting and engaging hour. The event is underwritten by the California Wellness Foundation.

For tickets, go to www.commonwealthclub.org or call (415) 597-6705.

Location:
The Commonwealth Club, San Francisco Club Office
595 Market Street, 2nd floor SF, CA 94105

Time:
11:30 a.m. check-in; Noon program

Cost:
MEMBERS FREE, $20 non-members, $7 students (with valid ID)

At Avantpage, we're much more than just a translation company. We provide translation, localization, interpretation, language technology and much more - all with a unique sensitivity to other cultures, ethnic markets and foreign entities. Our documents and multimedia are not "just" translations - they feel and function as if they were produced in the target country.

So, why the bridge? The image of the Avantpage bridge is elegant, yet powerful. Its grace and beauty belies an underlying strength that will provide safe passage to many future travelers. 

Our services provide a powerful bridge across which businesses can communicate, collaborate and function more effectively through many diverse languages. From localizing websites and online materials to the intricacies of international commerce, the Avantpage bridge of services reaches across language barriers and cultural differences, drawing people together and helping them to create lasting relationships with ethnic and foreign markets.

Simply put, Avantpage represents a bridge to other cultures, a bridge towards more effective communication both locally and globally, and a bridge to a brighter future.

Come and be a part of our journey as we travel across!

Are you aware that Avantpage is a minority-owned business? We are proud of our MBE status, and today I'd like to take just a moment to expand on that a bit ...

What is an MBE? 
An MBE - Minority-owned Business Enterprise - is defined as a for-profit business which is owned, operated and controlled by minority group members who are Asian, Black, Hispanic or Native American. At least 51% of the business must be owned by a minority to qualify, or, if the business is publicly-owned, at least 51% of the stock must be owned by one or more members of a minority. Also, the management and day-to-day operations of the business must be controlled by minority group members as well.

Many large corporations actively seek to do business with MBEs, and often have internal programs in  place to contract services with a certain percentage of MBEs, in addition to their other suppliers. If you are interested in choosing a translation company with MBE status, Avantpage is certified by The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC).

What does MBE status mean to our clients?
There is actually a two-pronged advantage to Avantpage's MBE status. First, because we are certified as an MBE by the NMSDC, we are eligible to register with major corporations in their supplier diversity programs. And that means exciting opportunities for Avantpage to gain valuable experience with new corporate clients, improve our industry recognition, expand our services and grow as an organization. 

Secondly, there is a more "intangible" benefit to our being designated an MBE.  In the translation industry, we deal closely with minority issues in regard to language barriers. We understand sensitive language issues, cultural differences, and diversity concerns, because our company was founded and built by minorities. 

Avantpage constantly seeks to further our understanding of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of other minority businesses and individuals. While our MBE status is another advantage to working with us, our work stands by itself due to its quality, service and competitive cost.

In today's unsteady economic climate, efficiency is a major buzzword on everyone's lips. How can businesses maximize resources while continually improving their quality and remaining competitive?

Improved technology is a frequent answer to this question. In Avantpage's case, we've been using an enterprise-level online project management system called AvantFlow for the past several years. It's helped us communicate easily with clients and gives them the freedom to access projects 24/7, from any remote location with Web access.

Like any good software, AvantFlow deserved an upgrade, and we're proud to say that the newest version of AvantFlow is more powerful than ever, with features that make it incredibly easy to start, supervise, and pick up translation projects.

How does it work? Each new user gets a secure account. Here you can log in to request a new project, monitor ongoing work, change specifications if necessary, view previous projects, and download finished files. Our system is designed to handle even the biggest desktop publishing files.

When working with your translator, you can assign due dates, ask for a project quote, and upload your source files. Best of all, all of your activity is automatically tracked within the system so you can see who's been doing what with your project. There are no more emails to search through, and you can be confident that all requests are seen and handled in a timely manner.

Need a quick demo on AvantFlow and how to use it? Contact me and I'd be happy to schedule a ten-minute meeting and/or e-mail you our Quick Guide User Manual.

Michael Lattif, VP Business Development
201.567.4351 | 530.750.2040 ext 7 | cell 201.424.8838

Avantpage Vice President of Business Development Michael Lattif will be speaking in Houston 8/13 at the Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters and Translators (TAHIT) 4th Annual Symposium on Language Access.

This event is the largest symposium on language access in the Southwestern US, and continues TAHIT's mission is to promote language access within healthcare by facilitating training, education, and communication between government, provider, and individual stakeholders.

Avantpages presentation, The ROI of Language Assistance: How It Pays to Communicate in Your Patients' Language, discuss the economic impact and ROI of language services in health care--a rare instance in which compliance with government regulations leads to higher patient satisfaction and better service and makes economic sense.

For more information about our presentation, contact Michael at michael@avantpage.com. We'd love to share with you the business case for quality language access solutions at the government, insurer, provider, and individual level, and Avantpage's recommendations on how to start and implement a professional Language Assistance program.

Looking forward to seeing you in Houston, and to sharing our insights with you after the event.

Unless you've been traveling somewhere extremely remote where there's no radio, television, newspapers, magazines, podcasts, or Internet, you've no doubt seen - or heard - part of a FIFA World Cup soccer game from South Africa over the past four weeks.

It all wrapped up in the finale on Sunday, July 11 with Spain defeating the Netherlands for not just the European bragging rights, but for the world's title, too.

So what does all of this World Cup frenzy mean to your business as it relates to using translations properly from Avantpage?

As the world's greatest sports tournament, watched by an estimated 500 million TV viewers, being a football fan can be great for your company's business -- if you think globally to leverage the World Cup audience to your advantage.

According to an Investopia article "World Cup: By The Numbers":

• $1.2 billion is the estimated total amount spent by this year's World Cup sponsors, according to Reuters.
• 6 stadiums at this year's World Cup had specially designated seats equipped with headphones through which commentators reported on the action for blind and visually impaired spectators, and most likely used them for translations.
• 86 million: Number of page views logged at Fox Soccer Channel's website, over the first five days of the tournament, an increase of 28% compared to the 2006 World Cup.
• 6.5 million: Number of World Cup replica jerseys sold by Adidas, more than double the number sold in 2006. This year's figures included sales of more than 1 million jerseys each for the German, Mexican, Argentinean and South African teams.

On a broader scale, let's look at how companies are leveraging this gigantic global audience to drive more businesses and increase their bottom line.

Sponsors: Traditional World Cup advertisers such as Adidas AG, Coca-Cola, McDonald's Corp., Hyundai, Kia, Sony, and Visa have historically benefitted from higher sales both during and following the tournament.

But for 2010, a few new relatively small enterprises launched their brands worldwide as sponsors. These included Yingli Green Energy Holding Company, a solar panel manufacturer that has a 7% share of the global solar energy market; Mahindra Satyam, an Indian IT services provider; and Seara, a Brazilian food supplier and the fourth largest meatpacking company worldwide.

Each of these newcomers was the first from their BRIC countries (Brazil-Russia-India-China) to sponsor the tournament and see a spike in awareness, which came after growth in their stock markets outpaced those of developed nations since the World Cup in 2006.

All of these advertisers could benefit from Avantpage's services for Globalization, Internationalization Localization, Transcreation and Translation for their websites, ads, and marketing communications.

Musicians: Most radio and TV commercials for World Cup sponsors use music to pace the message and build their brand with mnemonic messages or jingles. These commercials are also more frequently being shown in movie theatres to different audiences. For songs, chants, and anthems downloaded by globally by soccer aficionados, the musicians could sell more singles and CDs via our Localization and Translation services.

Social Networkers: If you're sending a Tweet through Twitter, writing on someone's Facebook wall, or uploading a YouTube video, it's important to speak their language so you can communicate most efficiently.

In terms of tweets, during this year's World Cup, a record was set during a Japan-Cameroon match on June 14 when tweets were sent at a rate of 2,940 per second about 30 seconds after the Japanese team scored the only goal of a 1-0 victory. And in the US-Slovenia World Cup match that ended in a draw, CNN's "South Africa 2010: Twitter Buzz" feature showed there were 174,078 tweets per minute near the end of the match, which translated to 2,901 tweets per second.

Both figures are nearly four times the average of Twitter's 750 tweets per second, which proves how big a hit Twitter has become in Japan since introducing a mobile version in October 2009. The Associated Press estimates that over 16% of Japanese Internet users tweet vs. 9.8% in the USA. It also proves that Twitter's traffic boost indicates how social media are driving the sports fan experience.

For social media, Avantpage can be the bridge advancing cross-cultural communication because of our ability to communicate in over 100 global languages. Our services for social media can include Globalization, Internationalization Localization, Transcreation, Translation and Transliteration.

If you are interested in talking with us and learning more about how we can help your company expand and connect with new markets, please contact info@avantpage.com, or call 530-750-2024.

Sources:

SF Gate: World Cup: By the Numbers

SF Gate: World Cup Investment Picks Offer One Sure Win

SF Gate: Sports Fans Set Twitter Records

 

Avantpage just returned from the CPEHN conference in Los Angeles. The theme was one of celebration--a look back, celebrate accomplishments and look forward to continuing challenges and what can be done.  The event was sponsored by the California Endowment.

The conference was attended by many different organizations from across the U.S.: community-centered groups and other not-for-profits, to publically held companies and federal government agencies.
 
Ellen Wu, CPEHN Executive Director, opened the plenary with a look at two scenarios for 2015. The first was a look back to today; the right moment and convergence of opportunities that effectively addressed health care disparity.

The second scenario was a "wasted opportunity."  The message: Don't mistake activity for achievement. Health care reform enacted in 2009 was insurance reform but did not address improvement in inequity.  How we work, whatever the accomplishments over the next five years will determine which scenario we have in 2015.
 
Some points made during workshops:

• Diversity of the total U.S. population is not reflected in the makeup of the workforce.  What does that hold in store for employers?
• 2 ½% of medical liability cases involve language issues.
• Most organizations need multiple modes of language services.
  

Overall, this was a great experience and we thank CPEHN for hosting this discussion--we were glad to be a part of it!  We'd love to talk more and share additional insights. Call or email me today and let's continue the discussion!

Michael Lattif, VP Business Development

201.567.4351 | 530.750.2040 ext 7 | cell 201.424.8838

Avantpage is pleased to join the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN), a multicultural health advocacy organization, at their event next week: Building Quality and Equitable Health Care Systems.

Sponsored by The California Endowment, this convening is an important opportunity to celebrate and share with one another our advances in eliminating health disparities through language access, cultural competency, and workforce diversity, and to work together to move the field forward, especially with the recent passage of national health reform.

If you're in Los Angeles June 6-9, consider joining this important meeting. Avantpage will report back after the event with our impressions--we're committed to staying abreast of all changes in policy as it relates to translation and keeping our clients informed!

Congratulations to our client, California-based AltaMed Health Services Corp.!

HISPANIC BUSINESS Magazine has ranked it as the number one nonprofit in the nation based on spending in service to Hispanics.

"Since 1969, the organization has provided health services to the underserved population in Los Angeles County, with special focus on the Mexican-American segment. Today it operates more than 20 facilities including five clinics, a youth center, and several HIV treatment centers. From prenatal testing to senior care, AltaMed has a program to address the need."

Read more about their ranking, and how AltaMed helped pioneer the practice of bilingual and bicultural healthcare for the Hispanic market.

We're glad to work with this great company as they strive to improve care and services for their members.

Being a technologist myself, I always look to the advances our scientists and engineers make with awe and wonder. As a society, we owe much to them.

I also know better than to give absolutes like "Machine translation will never replace human translators". Human capacity and ingenuity knows no bounds as of yet.

That said, we need to remember that as we apply machine translation to medical information, there are legal implications and, most importantly, the basis for medical choices and treatments. Mistakes and inaccuracies with medical information are simply not acceptable.

In our medical translation workflow, the legitimate role we have for machine translation is for terminology research, and to see how others have translated text that is new for us. Please note that this is more than in the past, but still quite limited.

Otherwise, because of legal, contractual and ethical requirements, we do not have or see any other role for machine translation in a medical context at this time. We will continue to follow the development of the technology, and as it evolves, evaluate how it can improve quality, lower costs and reduce turnaround time for our human translators.

Luis Miguel, CEO
tel: 530.750.2040, ext. 1