The Department of Health and Human Services has announced a new program, Effective Communication in Hospitals, to assist hospitals in communicating with patients and families who do not speak English as their primary language or who are deaf or hard of hearing. The department’s Office for Civil Rights will collaborate with state hospital associations and their members to develop and implement these programs. Hospital associations in the following nine states have committed to working on this initiative: Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington. Additional state hospital associations may be added in the future. Part of the initiative also involves sharing results with other hospitals and state associations.
In addition to helping hospitals determine what communication needs they should meet, the program will identify strategies for developing training, best practices, educational materials, and technical assistance. It will also identify resources and approaches to cover costs. Read the press release.
