Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

To:  Senator Barbara Mikulski

March 31, 2009

Senator Barbara Mikulski
503 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510


Re: Latino Health Care and Interpretation Service funding

Dear Senator Barbara Mikulski:

I am writing on behalf of the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work Health Care and Social Policy Class, as well as numerous constituents in the school community as well as the local community, to inform you of the disparities in health care services provided to the Latino population. These disparities are primarily caused by lack of proper interpretation services, which lead Latino Americans to either become misinformed, or stay away from health services altogether.

According to Executive Order 13166 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, translation and interpretation services are to be provided to the LEP (Limited English Proficiency) population at no cost in public facilities such as hospitals and other publicly funded facilities. However, although services are available, the lack of interpreters available, as well as the lack of training in specifically health related translation, has hindered the understanding of health care in many Latino Americans.

In an article entitled Language Barriers Contribute to Health Disparities (2000), a study had found that no interpreter was used in 46% of emergency cases involving patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Also, only 23% of U.S. teaching hospitals provide training on working with interpreters, and this training is optional. This article also stated that 19% of Latinos surveyed reported that they had not sought medical care because of their language barrier. As a result, lack of proper and accurate translation can lead to misdiagnosis, lack of preventative care, and many other health problems. Preventative care is extremely important in this population, especially since heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death for this population (National Center for Health Statistics). Lack of accurate translation services also greatly affects the health of children of Latino immigrants who may not seek health care for their children because of this language barrier.

As a result, Senator Mikulski, we are asking that you support more funding for translation services and training services for such interpreters. It is extremely important that this population receive proper health care and receive accurate diagnoses. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there are approximately 43 million Latino Americans living in the United States, and the number is rising. Children are also at a great risk, and our future is at stake. Please, if you can, support funding for training services in medical terminology so that these interpreters can accurately portray the health concerns of their clients.

Thank you for your time and effort, it is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Petition to Senator Barbara Mikulski was created by Maryland Residents and written by Social Policy Class, University of Maryland (Minority Group) (tspon001@umaryland.edu).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.