DALLAS, Dec. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMN Healthcare Language Services, the leading provider of language interpretation services for the healthcare industry, announced today its partnership with ALTA Language Services, a language and cultural solutions company that provides translation, medical interpreter training and language testing services. Through the partnership, AMN Language Services will now offer language proficiency testing for hospital and healthcare systems through a new platform that evaluates and qualifies their bilingual staff and full-time interpreters, solidifying their position as the go-to resource for comprehensive language solutions and facilitating compliance with Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, and age in federally funded health programs and activities. Section 1557 requires that all bilingual staff be evaluated and qualified by passing an assessment before they can render care in another language besides English. For healthcare providers, compliance with Section 1557 regulations is not only a legal obligation but also critical to addressing health disparities, improving patient outcomes and enabling care without concern of miscommunication.

"Our partnership with ALTA Language Services reflects our deep commitment to health equity by providing solutions that give patients the ability to truly communicate their needs, actively participate in their care, and ultimately improve their health outcomes as a result," said Jacobia Solomon, President, AMN Language Services. "The integration of language proficiency testing into our offerings brings together clinical expertise, cultural humility and language access to build trust through effective communication, which is foundational to realizing health equity for all."

The partnership bolsters AMN Language Service's diverse portfolio of products, simplifying the language procurement process for customers by providing the convenience of streamlined invoicing and a one-stop-shop for language services, including translation, video, audio, in-person interpretation, and now language proficiency testing. A recent AMN Healthcare Study shows in an analysis of 204 million minutes of patient interpretation services, that 45 different languages are cited as being among the top ten spoken in patient and provider encounters throughout the country, underscoring the ever-increasing complexity in these encounters.

“Both the patient and the healthcare providers benefit from this innovative solution as it ensures compliance, reduces risks, and validates practitioners' abilities to deliver medical services in languages other than English. This enhances the quality and accessibility of healthcare services for diverse patient populations,” said ALTA CEO, Rob Jones. “We are excited to partner with AMN Healthcare Language Services to provide better patient care and to make sure that all patients get access to quality and equitable healthcare services.”

For more information about AMN Language Services and the new language proficiency testing solutions, visit www.amnhealthcare.com/technology/virtual-care/language-services.