Celebrating Language Access in Patient Care in Los Angeles County

In its most recent annual report, Los Angeles Health Services found that in 2023 its healthcare facilities provided interpretation in over 100 languages, and 54% of patient visits were conducted in a language other than English.

Spanish was the largest preferred language, followed by English. Other popular languages for interpreter services included Mandarin, Korean, Armenian, Tagalog, Russian, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Arabic.

To get the word out about language access services, and to celebrate healthcare interpreters, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors proclaimed September 22-28, 2024, the second annual Language Access Week in Los Angeles County. Additionally, September 30th marked International Interpreters/Translators Day.

To join the celebration, we created a Translation Resources handout (English or Spanish) that lists services home visitors in our network can use to help navigate language barriers with the families they serve.

To find a free home visiting program in your community, go to eDirectory.HomeVisitingLA.org. And yes, the tool is available in over a dozen languages — see the top-right corner to pick the one you prefer.