Skip to content

Brought to you by

Dentons On Call

Making health law a little more accessible and a lot less daunting.

open menu close menu

Dentons On Call

  • Home
  • About Us

Ep. 69 – Providing Meaningful Access to Language Assistance

By Susan Freed
July 10, 2025
  • Podcast
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via email Share on LinkedIn

In the latest episode of The Healthcare Compliance Pod, we unpack how to provide meaningful access to language assistance – a topic that’s not only legally relevant due to Section 1557 changes but vital to patient safety and dignity.

Effective communication is essential in healthcare, and language barriers can compromise diagnoses, treatment, and patient trust. The good news? You can take clear, proactive steps to comply with Section 1557 and deliver better care.

  1. Assess language needs: Understand which languages are spoken in your community using data from local schools, community organizations, or federal tools like LEP.gov. Your EHR can also help identify patient language preferences.
  2. Secure qualified interpreters and translators: Contract with services or vet individuals (including bilingual staff) to ensure they are truly qualified — proficient in both languages, medically literate, and capable of preserving tone and meaning.
  3. Translate key documents: Identify and translate critical patient communications — like consent forms or notices — into commonly spoken languages. Plan for what to do if you get a request in a less common language.
  4. Educate staff: Ensure all staff, especially frontline personnel, know how to access language assistance services and understand when it’s appropriate to use family or friends (e.g., emergencies only, verified with the patient in private by a qualified interpreter).
  5. Distribute the “Notice of Availability:” This required statement informs patients that free language assistance is available. You must provide it in English and the 15 most common non-English languages in your state. Include it with important documents unless you implement an annual opt-out or language-specific communications process.
  6. Review annually: Reevaluate community language needs and your resources regularly. Update policies and retrain staff to stay compliant and responsive.

Ultimately, language access isn’t just about compliance, it’s about equity. It’s about making sure all patients understand their healthcare choices, feel respected, and receive high-quality care.

Episode 69 Free Resource | Language Access Checklist:

Free Resource for Episode 69Download

Subscribe to our podcast.

Get our latest posts by email.

Stay in touch

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via email Share on LinkedIn
Subscribe and stay updated
Receive our latest blog posts by email.
Stay in Touch
Susan Freed

About Susan Freed

Susan helps health care providers and health plans operate successfully in a challenging regulatory and reimbursement landscape. She approaches each client’s problems with practical solutions tailored to the individual client’s needs.

All posts Full bio

RELATED POSTS

  • Podcast

Ep. 10 – How to Conduct an Effective Risk Assessment… And Why You Need One!

By Susan Freed
  • Podcast

Ep. 33 – Three Mistakes CEOs Should Avoid 

By Susan Freed
  • Podcast

Ep. 54 – Situations to Address in Your Minor Consent Policies – Part 2

By Susan Freed

About Dentons

Redefining possibilities. Together, everywhere. For more information visit dentons.com

Categories

  • Anti-Kickback Statute
  • Compliance
  • Corporate
  • Corporate Practice of Medicine | CPOM
  • Digital Health
  • Digital IT
  • Fraud & Abuse
  • Health Care IT
  • Hospitals & Health Systems
  • Managed Care
  • Management Services Organizations | MSOs
  • Medicaid
  • Medical Devices
  • Medicare
  • News Flash
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Podcast
  • Privacy & Security
  • Reimbursement
  • Stark Law
  • US Health Care

Subscribe and stay updated

Receive our latest blog posts by email.

Stay in Touch

© 2025 Dentons

  • Legal notices
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of use
  • Cookies on this site