Americans Against Language Barriers

We are proud to announce the success of our Language Access in Healthcare Conference, held in partnership with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The two-day event, hosted in the heart of downtown Chicago and streamed live virtually, brought together attendees and presenters from across the U.S. and beyond, focused on addressing linguistic barriers in healthcare. This conference marks the start of a long-term partnership dedicated to fostering both individual and systemic improvements in language access. We extend our gratitude to our partners at Lurie Children’s, whose leadership and dedication were instrumental in ensuring the event’s success. Their language services team volunteered tirelessly to ensure a seamless experience, underscoring their commitment to advancing language access in healthcare. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Grateful for the opportunity to continue advocating for speakers of non-dominant languages in healthcare settings. Looking forward to the conference this weekend!

We're grateful to our primary conference sponsor, Trogo Kitchen And Market, for their generous donation of high quality plant-based food for our upcoming Chicago conference,?held in partnership with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. At AALB, we're committed to breaking down barriers in all forms of communication. Our choice to serve only meatless food at our events reflects our broader mission of fostering understanding and giving voice to the voiceless. We believe that true communication transcends traditional boundaries, and our dietary choices are an extension of this philosophy. Trogo's sponsorship enables us to create an environment that truly embodies our organization's ethos, where every choice contributes to our goal of universal comprehension and respect. To learn more about Trogo Kitchen and Market, visit https://trogo.co/ To learn more about our upcoming conference, visit: https://lnkd.in/grytmr6q

The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Americans Against Language Barriers have partnered to host an important conference on October 5th and 6th, accessible both in-person in Chicago and live virtually. Don’t miss CCHI Chair Vonessa Costa present “Healthcare Interpreter Certification: Setting the Course for the Next 15” on Saturday afternoon at 1:35pm. To learn more about this amazing event, visit: https://lnkd.in/gDSiPcK9

Today we announced the issuance of a Letter of Finding and Notice of Violation against the San Juan Capestrano Hospital, for violating disability civil rights laws when it failed to provide a patient with a sign language interpreter, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. When I visited Puerto Rico earlier this year, we kept hearing how important it was to ensure civil rights for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, and how rampant these issues were on the island. La comunicación eficaz durante las evaluaciones de salud mental es crucial para garantizar el cuidado y tratamiento adecuados para cada paciente. Los pacientes que son sordos o tienen dificultad de audición deben recibir el mismo nivel de comunicación que los pacientes sin discapacidades auditivas. La OCR continuará haciendo cumplir rigurosamente las leyes y regulaciones para fortalecer el acceso a los servicios de salud para las personas con discapacidades y garantizará la equidad y la no discriminación en el cuidado de la salud y los servicios humanos.

Join Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and AALB for the 2024 Language Access in Healthcare Conference in #Chicago, Illinois on October 5th and 6th. Register to join in-person or as a virtual attendee: www.AALB.org/conference Kelly Henriquez will be speaking on "Reconciling Rapport and Ethics in Pediatric Interpreting". Continuing Education Units will be provided for interpreters certified by CCHI, NBCMI, RID, and more (pending). Kelly's Biography: Kelly (Grzech) Henriquez is a dual-certified Spanish medical/healthcare interpreter in Richmond, Virginia. She acquired her BA from Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in Spanish and completed their SETI (Spanish/English Translation and Interpretation) program. Kelly began her career in language services at a local safety net clinic and has since been interpreting on-site. During the pandemic, she began her YouTube channel for interpreters to provide free and accessible continuing education. Shortly thereafter, she became a medical interpreter trainer with Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB) and was recognized as the 2023 AALB Interpreter Educator of the Year.

We are excited to announce our Keynote Speaker for the upcoming Language Access Conference in partnership with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (www.AALB.org/conference). Jenny Ma serves as the Principal Deputy Director at the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In her role, she oversees the implementation and enforcement of civil rights and privacy laws and related policy and strategic initiatives. Jenny also coordinates work with OCR’s 11 national offices and supports the Director in the management of day-to-day operations of the office and staff. Before joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Jenny was a Senior Counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, where she led complex, high-stakes reproductive rights cases in state and federal courts, including as counsel in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization before the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to these roles, Jenny served as a law clerk to the Honorable John T. Noonan, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Robert W. Sweet of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She also worked at the law firms Jones Day and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, where she co-authored an amicus brief in Obergefell v. Hodges. Jenny is a graduate of Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fisk Stone Scholar, a Ms. JD Fellow, and received the Louis Henkin Outstanding Note Award for her scholarship. She also holds an M.A. from Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and a B.A. with honors from Wesleyan University. Jenny recently received the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Women’s Leadership Award, which recognized professional excellence in legal field and demonstrated leadership and advancement of women or women’s issues.

The 2024 Language Access in Healthcare Conference, hosted by Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB) in collaboration with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, is a transformative event dedicated to advancing linguistic equity in healthcare. Taking place on October 5-6, 2024, this conference will bring together healthcare professionals, interpreters, and advocates for civil rights to engage in dynamic discussions, workshops, and debates focused on improving healthcare outcomes for limited-English proficient (LEP) and Deaf patients. Learn more & register: https://lnkd.in/grytmr6q Attendees will have the opportunity to earn continuing education units (CEUs), network with experts from around the world, and participate in a range of activities designed to promote actionable change in the field of medical interpretation. Whether attending in person or virtually, this event offers a unique platform to enhance professional skills and contribute to the future of equitable healthcare access.

Join AALB & Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, IL for our upcoming conference on October 5th & 6th. Learn more & register: www.AALB.org/conference Our featured speaker is Vonessa Costa, the Chair of Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI). Biography: Vonessa Costa is Sr. Director of Quality for the Health Care Interpreter Network, a collaborative of hospitals that share interpreter resources. Vonessa is former director of Multicultural Affairs and Patient Services at Cambridge Health Alliance, named number one in Massachusetts for Health Equity and Community Benefit by the Lown Institute (2021, 2023). She is former director of Cross Cultural Communication Institute at CCCS, Inc. Vonessa has co-authored articles published by AMA Journal of Ethics and The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Vonessa is Chair of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, serving as a Commissioner since 2020. Continuing Education Units will be provided for professionals certified by CCHI, NBCMI, RID, and more. Please email [email protected] with any questions you may have. Virtual registration is also available for those who cannot attend in-person.

We are thrilled to invite you to Chicago on October 5th and 6th for the 2024 Language Access in Healthcare Conference, in partnership with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and AALB. Learn more and register today: www.AALB.org/conference Dates: October 5th & 6th, 2024 Location: Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois (225 E Chicago Ave) Theme: Advancing Linguistic Equity in Healthcare Join healthcare professionals, interpreters, and advocates as we delve into innovative strategies to enhance language access in healthcare. Engage in meaningful discussions, network with leading experts, and contribute to actionable outcomes that will drive real change.