Today, Avantpage Translations and School Innovations & Advocacy (SI&A) released a special report on ways that properly and accurately translated documents-not just the ones required by law-can enhance relationships and overall results for schools.

Research shows conclusively that parent involvement in their children's education improves student achievement. In particular, children from low-income and culturally and racially diverse families-students most often affected by racial and ethnic "achievement gaps"-benefit from increased involvement.

Schools are searching for ways to close these achievement gaps-and translation is a cost-effective solution that should be explored. It's easy to see how school districts can realize higher rates of participation and improved results when they speak the community's language.

The complete report can be downloaded here. Avantpage continues to address the linguistic issues that affect education in California and around the country.

The Latino and Asian markets are growing rapidly, and that they represent a great opportunity for the health care industry. Who will take the initiative and reach out to this segment of the population? Who will become trusted members of the community and become preferred providers for thousands of Latino and Asian households?

In an America that is daily becoming more diverse, the companies who can fulfill this need will surely be the most successful in the years and decades to come.

Click here to read more about how you can access the Latino and Asian health care markets.

 

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.

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.  

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.

Next week, Avantpage will be at the Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council (NCMSDC) 2009 Minority Business Opportunity Expo.

The expo will take place on Thursday, August 6, 2009, from 8:30AM - 1:00PM in the South Hall of the San Jose Convention Center.

It's always gratifying to meet with other Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) organizations coming out to discover local products and services, network with colleagues, and discuss challenges and solutions ahead.
 
Stop by our booth to learn about the translation solutions we offer and get a complete view of Avantpage and the excellent language services we can provide for your company.

We are passionate about our work and look forward to talking with you!

An excerpt from a great Newsweek article

http://www.newsweek.com/id/207897/page/1(see page 2)

What have been the biggest decisions you've made in the past few years?
One thing was making a site that was translated to most of the languages that people speak in the world. We built a system where users could contribute different translations and vote on the translations. The result is we've been able to translate into all these languages and dialects and variants. We now support languages that are spoken by 97 percent of the world.

Are you using AvantFlow, our online project management tool? If you're not, we think you should. Our customers tell us they love it: "It's a great tool--it saves us time, helps us to organize and store our projects, and is extremely easy to use."

With AvantFlow you can ask for a quote, request a translation, monitor project status, and upload or pick up files online, any time of day or night. It's all at your fingertips!

Need a refresher on what it is and how to use it? Contact us and we'd be happy to schedule a ten-minute meeting and/or e-mail you our Quick Guide User Manual.

Follow us on Twitter ... http://twitter.com/Avantpage  We'd love to follow you also!

Interesting article about the movement toward patient-accessible online medical records:

http://www.ahiphiwire.org/News/Default.aspx?channel=HealthIT&doc_id=336858&utm_source=6/24/2009&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HiWire_Newsletter&uid=TRACK_USER&page=1