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. 

Health Benefit Exchange Gives Uninsured Consumers Access to High-Quality, Affordable Health Care

In accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed in March of 2010, the California Health Benefit Exchange is slated to go into effect on January 1, 2014. The Health Benefit Exchange is essentially a health plan "marketplace" where uninsured individuals and small businesses can shop for and purchase high-quality health insurance. Individuals with low to moderate incomes, and small businesses of less than 100 employees will be eligible for federal tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies previously only available to those with employer-based heath insurance.

Through the California Health Benefit Exchange, consumers will be able to shop for and purchase health insurance on the private market. They will gain greater purchasing power due to a more stable risk pool, increased competition among insurers, and the ability to "comparison shop" for healthcare.

The Exchange will operate as a web-based service that acts as a "portal" for numerous health plans, enabling health care plan shoppers to compare coverage, offerings, rates, services and more. The Exchange will provide clear, easy-to-understand information to consumers through their website, which will offer standardized, detailed information about the plans, access to health plan experts, and a toll-free number to call for more information.

If you would like to learn more about the California Health Benefit Exchange and its impact on translation needs, download our Special Report. Although the Exchange will not go into effect until 2014, many health care organizations are already laying the groundwork for ramped-up translation efforts utilizing numerous threshold languages.  Starting the translation process now will ensure that LEP healthcare consumers have the information they need to make informed decisions once they are using the Health Benefit Exchange website.

1. Who Are Avantpage's Translators?
At Avantpage, our translators are the lifeblood of our company. Their skills, knowledge, and expertise enable us to provide accurate, quality translation in well over 150 languages for a diverse client base, including healthcare, financial, education, government and more. At Avantpage, our translators are much more than just foreign language experts. They have a passion for linguistics, a gift for understanding the finer points of syntax, grammar, and style, and a profound knowledge of how language and culture affects written and oral communication, beliefs, and behaviors.

2. How Are Translators Selected?
We select our translators very carefully, and they must go through a rigorous qualification/training process before being asked to join the Avantpage team. We choose individuals based on their depth of knowledge, experience, and professionalism, and offer complete training on our online project management systems, translation tools, quality control processes, company expectations, and specific customer service guidelines.

3. What Can You Expect?
When you choose Avantpage for your translation needs, you can rest assured you will be working with the best translators in the business - experienced, focused, expert, individuals who put their heart and soul into every translation project they take on.

To find out more about Avantpage's translators, call 877-ANY-LANG or email info@avantpage.com today!

By tapping into next generation web-based technologies, Avantpage has increased our online capabilities and streamlined our translation processes. Navigation, customization, communication - it's all easier, faster, and more efficient than ever before.

We've designed three powerful software applications - AvantFlow, AvantMemory, and AvantForum - to work cohesively and provide a more productive, user-friendly online translation environment.

What can you expect to gain from putting these tools to use? For starters, you'll have greater control over all your translation projects, from initial quote to final delivery. You'll gain instant online access to all aspects of a project's
progress, which makes monitoring and tracking that much easier. These tools give you the freedom to spend less time on administrative tasks, troubleshooting and backtracking - and more time overseeing the quality, accuracy, consistency and timelines of the projects themselves.

AvantFlow allows you to manage, organize, and keep track of all your translation projects

AvantFlow is our signature online project management system, now upgraded and revised to be more practical and accessible than ever before. Easier site navigation, improved access to resources and faster response times are just some of the latest improvements. Use AvantFlow to request quotes, instantly check project status, give detailed project instructions, upload source files, assign due dates and deadlines, and much more.

AvantMemory lets you access and manage your translation assets more easily and effectively

AvantMemory is a web-based system that streamlines the translation process, providing greater client control. AvantMemory includes customized linguistic glossaries that save specific terminology and style preferences; allows multiple vendors to work with the same assets in real time; allows linguistic team members to work concurrently; and lets work on a project proceed with multiple languages simultaneously.

AvantForum facilitates communication and collaboration in real time between project stakeholders

Through AvantForum, all communication relating to a specific project is captured in one central online location. All project stakeholders have instant access to the same information, including preferences and requirements, online conversations, emails, meeting notes and more. AvantForum minimizes the possibility of critical information "slipping through the cracks," while maximizing client/translation team collaboration and effectiveness.

Through the use of these next generation technologies, we'll be able to focus all of our efforts on providing exceptional translation and language services. And you will be able to keep your translation projects moving forward smoothly - on target, on time and under budget.

Call us today for a free demo of any of these technologies at 877-ANY-LANG or info@avantpage.com.

Avantpage recently utilized XTM International's AvantMemory product to deliver a crucial, high quality job - on time and within budget, without compromising on quality.

Read the full case study here, and learn how Avantpage served its large health care client with a 30-file, Spanish-to-English translation project, totalling one million words -- and only 9 days to complete the project.

This new case study details the task, key questions, and outcome of this project. You may also contact Avantpage at (530) 750-2040 or at info@avantpage.com for more information.

Today, LinkedIn announced a major milestone for its site: it's surpassed 100 million users. Congratulations!

Avantpage invites you to link with us on LinkedIn.....

Our Healthcare Language Assistance Group on LinkedIn is a powerful resource for healthcare professionals - providing answers, assistance, discussion forums, up-to-the-minute information and more for professionals looking to bridge cultural and linguistic barriers within the healthcare industry.

We bring together health plan administrators, regulators, patient advocates and linguistic experts to collaborate on the myriad challenges healthcare professionals face every day regarding language assistance.

Make new connections, get your questions answered, and expand your professional network

When you join Avantpage's Healthcare Language Assistance group on LinkedIn, need-to-know information, in-depth discussion, industry updates and more are all just one quick click away.  This group is dedicated to helping you:

• Get swift answers to federal and state compliance questions
• Address language translation issues
• Facilitate document and media preparation
• Examine cultural concerns in the healthcare sector
• Exchange vital information with your peers
• Meet and connect with other industry professionals
•  Stay on top of the latest industry changes and revisions

Why LinkedIn? 
Nothing beats LinkedIn for reaching experts, leaders and innovators in today's business world.  LinkedIn was created by professionals, for professionals, and is an excellent resource for connecting with health care industry leaders who share the same questions and concerns you do. 

Join Us Today
Go to www.LinkedIn.com, and search groups for "Healthcare Language Assistance."  Click to join - and connect online with us today!

Power up your Spanish translation program...

Spanish-speaking Americans are growing in numbers, expanding their reach and buying power, and gaining ground in numerous geographical areas. The 2010 US Census preliminary results indicate that in numerous states, the Hispanic population is on the upswing.

• In Texas, Hispanics accounted for 65% of the overall population growth.
• In Illinois, Hispanics contributed 72% of all minority growth in the state.
• In South Dakota, the Hispanic population more than doubled from 2000 to 2010.
• In Oklahoma, Hispanics accounted for nearly 51% of the overall state population growth.
• The Louisiana Hispanic population grew by over 78% between 2000 and 2010, and the Mississippi population, by 105.9%.

With more state results to come, trends definitely point to robust Hispanic market growth.

Many of these people are Limited English Proficient, and are most comfortable reading and communicating in Spanish.

What does this mean for you? If you are thinking of increasing your presence in the Spanish-speaking marketplace, now is the time to make your move.

Localizing your website and multimedia materials, translating your documents and signage and presenting marketing and advertising campaigns in Spanish as well as English will help you target and connect with LEP consumers. New Spanish-speaking prospects are out there in force, and they are ready and willing to use your services, buy your products and support your company - if you commit to reaching out to them in their own language.

At Avantpage, we excel at English to Spanish translation that is high quality, culturally sensitive and audience-appropriate. Our translation teams are experts at choosing the proper wording, sentence structure and terminology that will best get your message across.

Rolf Hecken has spent 20 years in the translation and localization industry, with a strong focus on solution building, linguistic technologies, process management and improvement, and quality assurance.

Rolf has held senior executive positions at a number of successful service organizations and brings a high level of industry knowledge and expertise to Avantpage.

His responsibilities as VP of Operations include implementation and optimization of language technologies, managing the day-to-day operations of the company, and ensuring that all processes and procedures run smoothly and efficiently.

To reach Rolf with questions or to ask how Avantpage's translation services can help your business, contact him by email or at 530-750-2040, x6.

As a translation company, we work closely with many different ethnic groups. In this new series, we'd like you to join us as we take a closer look at some of these groups residing in the United States. We'll focus on a different group each month, and briefly explore their culture, languages and demographics. To kick off our series, we'd like to start with Filipino Americans.

Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian American group in the United States, with 3.1 million individuals residing here, according to the 2007 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census. Hawaii, California, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Illinois, Texas , Florida, Virginia and Nevada are the states with the largest Filipino populations. While some Filipinos emigrated to the United States seeking political freedom, many more came hoping to establish a better life with more opportunities for themselves and their families.

Filipino Americans may speak Tagalog, Ilokano, Spanish, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Visayan languages, Bikolano, and other Philippine languages at home. However, because English is one of the Philippines' official languages, many Filipino Americans are fluent English-speakers as well. In the Philippines, English is used in the legal system as well as in higher education. Filipino, based on Tagalog, is the other official standardized language of the Philippines.  In the United States, Tagalog is the fifth most-spoken language, with over 1.2 million speakers. Fluency in the languages of the Philippines has declined with second and third-generation Filipino Americans, creating a language barrier between older and younger generations.

Filipino Americans tend to have a strong median household income. Many have gravitated towards the healthcare industry, working as nurses, doctors, dentists and healthcare support staff. Filipino Americans have a high educational attainment rate, with 47.9% of all Filipino Americans over the age of 25 possessing a Bachelor's degree. Filipino Americans enjoy a strong sense of family and community. Festivals and community events celebrating Filipino culture are extremely important to Filipino Americans, with fiestas, street festivals, parades and feasts bringing generations together to celebrate their heritage and culture. 

For the first time, Avantpage will be attending the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, February 20 - 24, 2011.

We are excited to be a part of an exhibition of this size and scope, and are looking forward to offering our translation solutions, expertise and experience to today's top healthcare IT providers. As longtime experts in the healthcare translation industry, Avantpage is poised to deliver our unique blend of flexibility, speed, quality and expertise to a new roster of healthcare clients.

Accurate translation in threshold and other languages is a critical component of the healthcare industry. Integrating translation services, IT and Management Systems is vital to the continued growth and success of hospitals, urgent care facilities, hospice providers, emergency care centers, HMOs, health insurance providers and many others in the health industry.

On average, 20 to 25% of all patients or insureds in the U.S. do not speak English at home. Translated content helps to improve patient health literacy at all levels, and allows our healthcare system to support client needs regardless of language and ethnicity.

Why choose Avantpage? At Avantpage, we've fine-tuned our translation capabilities to reflect the very latest in translation technology, healthcare compliance requirements and healthcare strategy and implementation plans.

• Our focus on the healthcare industry has given us a leading edge over other translation firms: We're experienced, prepared and fully qualified to handle healthcare translation projects of any size and complexity.
• We're easy to do business with! Our web-based translation platform offers accessibility, flexibility and customization - all at a very cost-effective price point.
• Although our data and translation processes are highly automated, we've never lost sight of the "human element" of translation. You'll deal with project managers, translators and support staff who always have time to answer questions, address concerns and talk you through the project process.

We are looking forward to connecting with IT and Management Systems experts in a variety of healthcare-related fields at the upcoming HIMSS conference. Our current clients include some of the largest integrated managed care accounts and hospitals in the industry, and we'd love to touch base with interested prospects and talk a little further about our menu of translation services and solutions.

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!