In accordance with Assembly Bill (AB) 635 (Atkins, Chapter 600, Statutes of 2016) which was passed with little objection, and Senate Bill (SB) 165 (Atkins, Chapter 365, Statutes of 2019) which passed unanimously:

On August 31, 2021, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced that Medi-Cal beneficiaries will be receiving increased interpreter support in several regions in California, including Contra Costa County. The aim of this was to ensure that all patients, no matter what language they speak, are able to receive the care that they deserve without having to worry about communication.

The project is called Medical Interpretation Pilot Project. Through the legislatively mandated project, medical interpreters in the following languages are needed or will be called upon. This is to cover Medi-Cal assignments in the area either on-site or remotely, either via phone or video conferencing.

Arabic
Armenian
Cambodian
Cantonese
Dari
Farsi
Hindi
Hmong
Japanese
Korean
Laotian
Mam
Mandarin
Mien
Mixteco
Pashto
Punjabi
Russian
Spanish
Tagalog
Thai
Vietnamese

Monterey Language Services is proud to be part of the MIPP team, providing interpretation services in Richmond/Antioch area.

People in the translation and interpretation business stress the importance of having a professional on site, no matter what the job is. In an everyday conversation using a bilingual friend or relative may be acceptable; however, trouble arises when that relative is put into stressful settings such as a medical, legal, or business situation.

When a professional interpreter is sent to one of these places, not only do they know how to fluently speak the necessary languages, but they are also trained in the specific field. For example, a professional interpreter that gets dispatched to a hospital will know how to say all of the different medicines and terms in both languages. On top of this, they have the knowledge to make the translation smooth and grammatically correct in order to avoid any confusion.

One thing to avoid when looking for precise translations are automated translation machines on the internet; although these are useful for translating short lines of text, more than a sentence may cause confusion. This leaves you with a poorly constructed block of text that is not fit for homework, business, or even a short conversation.

If you want proof, go to one of these websites and enter a large block of text from a book or magazine in English to a different language. After you have received the translated text, re-enter it and switch the languages to translate from the one you chose back into English.

Notice anything different?

~By Greg Will

Studies have found that patients like having a translator available, and that it may improve their care and ultimately cut costs — by avoiding unnecessary tests, for example.

There is an estimated 25 million Americans with what is called “limited English proficiency.” Also considering the fact that almost everyone gets sick or ends up in the hospital at least once in their life, this study could help prevent translation slips that would affect nearly 3.5 to 6.5 million Americans.

However, there aren’t always interpreters assigned to medical cases. It is estimated that it would cost the U.S. $268 million per year to offer interpreter services to most medical institutions around the nation.

Also, there was the least amount of errors reported from interpreters that had a minimum 100 hours of medical interpretation training.  Monterey Language Services provides certified, qualified, and professionally trained medical interpreters for LEP patients in the hospital on a daily basis.

Source of information:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-rt-us-medical-erbre83g15s-20120417,0,1800424.story

Monterey Language Services has become a solid provider for the government and numerous corporations. Our domains of competence are expanding into medical, legal, technical, and business sectors, as well as academic and research institutions.

More and more clients appreciate the individualized approach and personal attention we give to each interpretation or translation project.

For example, when translating a CEO’s letter to his or her employees, we will ensure that the CEO is communicating directly with his employees in their own languages instead of translating the letter mechanically.

When translating a public education brochure, we make sure to write it in a way that is easy to understand and comfortable to read.

The power of language can transform a company in a number of ways.  We are amazed by how well companies and organizations understand and are utilizing the role of languages to its full potential.  Through constant interactions and communications, Monterey Language Services is growing with our customers.