Introduction
How many of you would love to walk up to your boss and say that?!? You have bills, vacations, and don’t forget the kiddos. You’re a hard worker and you go above and beyond what’s expected of you because you care! You organize activities, enrich the entire working environment and, darn it, people like you!
Fantastic! But instead of showing you the money they showed you the door. WHAT? How did this happen? How could this be??
Too many people find themselves in this situation in this drastic time of change. The only way your boss can show you the money is if you show them the money first.
How? Let’s find out!
Video
Hey, everybody we're back I'm, Rochelle, the captain president of connecting cultures, I'm Aaron, Ursula's vice president and we're just wanted to sit down today and talk a little bit about some topics of interest to us.
And we believe also of interest to a lot of other folks based on what we've been seeing as far as conversations on social media and other platforms, where interpreters like to hang out.
So the topic that we kind of want to address is the challenge of what we're seeing around the country in the United States with regards to language services, and in the hospitals and different healthcare organizations and systems.
So if you spend any time on any of the social media groups, I'm, sure you have heard about some of our colleagues who have been in really difficult situations where they've been working in a department in a hospital that has its own language, Services Department and it's been around for maybe years or even decades in some cases.
And what seems to be almost from from night today, if the department is just gone, the positions are cut there's, drastic changes that are made with regard to how the organization is delivering language services.
And that causes a lot of stress angst turmoil.
And without question, a lot of hurt feelings among one thing, but also leaves us all wondering what the heck what's going on.
And one of the things that we need to pay attention to and be aware of in the healthcare system and organization.
So with that kind of lead, and in that context, setting the stage for this conversation.
We'd like to share some thoughts that we have that hopefully will be helpful for you with regard to where is it that language services fits into the healthcare service, the health sir system as an organization as a whole picture, right and I think what's happening.
Now as healthcare is changing drastically, what used to be local clinics and kind of local, regional organizations really have to expand.
And so, as that happens, there's, no leadership.
That comes in everything is looking to get more and more lean, especially kind of in smaller markets, I would say that it might be happening a little bit more now as they start to get bigger.
But the the most unfortunate part of all of this is that you have really well experienced passionate people who have been able to have a career as a health care, interpreter and really add that value.
And then that goes away, and it really hurts our profession.
But as you have heard me talk about a lot is that business argument.
And so you 10, sometimes you have managers that come in and they're there, they're, passionate they're helping.
But when it comes time to really look at those budgetary numbers and and be on those committees and and talk about things there's, a lack of being able to build that business argument.
And so when you're looking at budgets and where you're going to cut what services are or aren't necessary services, and you know, the cost of having employees and benefits and just the there's, a there's, a different side of expense to having staff versus having vendors.
And so we're, seeing that I think people aren't able to build that business argument when you're sitting down with the, you know, chief financial officer, or even your next level superior to say, hey, this is why we add value it's nice to see that health care is if they're not eliminating language services, it's, not that they're trying to stop the the care and the service it's, just that they're seeing that.
Okay, if you send it outside of the organization, it just makes more business sense.
And so one of the things that I think is lacking sometimes is looking at that job description and and really setting up what the value is.
And and having that role, I know that I've worked with a couple of people throughout the country where you know trying to go to human resources and and and getting raises and moving within the organization and having next tears after you have so many years within you don't want to stay the same, but without being able to build that business argument, your budget, doesn't grow and then you're, not able to keep staff because they're, they need to move on expenses grow things happen.
And so being able to kind of structure.
Those things is really important.
And so you know, one of the things that you're talking about the it's, not that healthcare is saying, okay, we're, not gonna offer language services at all.
But it is very powerful when a department gets cut.
And language services is then the model of delivery has changed.
And so you know, we hear about the race to the bottom and like what's, the least amount of money we can pay to get the service to just cover it close enough.
And so you know, if I think about even an punches in our personal lives, right, it's like I want to pay the least amount of money, but you know, get value for what I'm doing so sometime they're gonna pay more for something because it's worth investing a little bit more money to get a higher quality or a better outcome.
And so we think about that in our own personal financial situations and household budgets and whatnot.
But so the the missing piece that seems to be one of the missing pieces that seems to be present in how do we show the value of language services to the the c-suite to the decision makers to the budget owners in that? Yeah, there there's.
We definitely have to take care of the budget, but the cheapest option isn't the best option.
In fact, the cheapest option what's the saying you get where you pay for yeah.
So sometimes you end up, you know, if you're if you're going for the least expensive just looking at the dollar signs, you end up without realizing it paying more it's more expensive, right? So, you know, I be hard for us to imagine a health care system that says, let's always find the cheapest sharps instruments or let's, find the cheapest, what have you without having any consideration for quality or outcome, even in hiring, you know, talent pool and whether it's, you know, physicians or nurses or the other professional staff members as well.
So the kind of kidding - may be a bit of a point to take away here is what are we doing to show in a very real and tangible way that language services? And the whole picture is not a nice-to-have right, it's a necessary thing for health care.
And it does make not only a better patient care experience.
But it makes much more financial sense for the organization as well.
Well.
And we've seen over hour now, 19 years kind of ebbs and flows where organizations have been.
You know, dealing with the face-to-face interpreting and and things have been easy and then it's like nope we're, cutting where we're saving money were doing things differently.
And what we've seen over time is that, you know, as as time passes providers cycle through employees that go through in general.
And so the process that was doesn't exist anymore, because it doesn't pass through.
And then you end up back to the same place of you know, well, it's it's just easier to use the family member, it's just easier to try and make it through it's just easier to, you know, try and use my Spanish all of the things that as healthcare interpreters, we know is not providing the service, but it is saving money.
And as long as it's good enough, we have Google Tran, and you know, all the different different methodologies to communicate and so kind of getting back to this original picture too when you have an internal department, and you have staff that know your providers, and they know your patients, and they know your rhythms, and they know your system there's, a true value to that there's efficiencies there's, you know, there's, not so many urgent care visits they're, not so many ER visits, there's better adherence to treatment plans.
So we've also talked about, you know, one modality, isn't, necessarily the answer for everything.
So there is there is space and places to have video to tab telephonic, but outsourcing or not even outsourcing that's, what I'm trying to say, but you know when you have a group of people that are so familiar with everything within your organization, and you take that out, it really just kind of breaks up all of the systems all of the efficiencies.
And we know healthcare is all about that as is any business, because you have to do as much with as little you have shareholders owners.
You have patients who want lower prices.
You have insurance companies there's a lot of different dynamics.
And really it comes down to the numbers.
So as interpreters that's, not really our first space to be in it's.
Not really we don't get into the profession to be millionaires.
We get into the profession because we're learning we're helping we're aiding were we're, adding kind of that warm and fuzzy value to the situation.
But you really have to think about the money value that you're adding because you really are as interpreters.
You add financial value to an organization and until there's, really a push and an understanding as a profession about that and there's, really looking at the dollars and cents.
We would all and I've said this before if I wanted four million dollars I would do it for free, and everybody would get paid a lot of money, but that's, not reality.
And so everybody wants to get paid.
Everybody wants their minimums.
Everybody wants to be called everybody fights.
You know, at fights, but yeah, fights a little bit to get their business and to have their hours and to have their paychecks if you're not you want your money, but you have to show why how you're making money for the people that are paying the bills.
And we you know, in previous conversations, too it's been well, who do you work for is that the provider is that the patient? But really in the end it's, both even if you didn't agree with the provider side, it really is both.
And if you're not understanding the business side and seeing the provider side, you're, not going to be able to help the patient you're, not going to be around and have the resources and the time and the finances to go and provide that service because it's going to go somewhere else.
So having really looking at our business or profession as a business, it has to be the next level of conversation that we have.
It has to be, you know, we've we've gotten.
Oh, we've gotten really far with what standardizing our code of ethics and our business.
Our business practices, it's uneven, business practices, really it's like operational procedural practices in the room.
We haven't expanded anything from the time you get called the time.
You interview the time you're approved to when you receive your your money, there's, nothing other than in the room.
And that doesn't help us with our profession we're.
You know as people, you know, get older, you know, I, look at myself and I'm like well, you know, not a young cookie anymore, um young puppy, I, always mess up those idioms or whatever, but anyways, um, we if we're trying to bring in a new generation and new eaters.
It can't just be about what that piece is it really has to start expanding beyond that because that's what makes the world run and all of that work to make the encounter in the exam room.
And in you know that patient experience good will be for not because you're me won't be around to do it.
And we again, modalities all have their place in their time.
But when we're looking at people who have made this their career and who have worked as interpreters for decades, just leaving the market completely, because the jobs are gone, and they need to support their families that's, a true true travesty in our industry.
So we really gotta start looking at that.
But one of the other pieces to that as well is the training.
So your professional development as an interpreter is really important as well, because you you, you know, you go through your 40-hour, and you do your certification, and you do the steps to start into the industry.
But then if you look at all of the other healthcare professionals, they have continuing education requirements.
They have need to continue to grow and evolve and and improve their skills because more is known and more is learned, but as interpreters that's, still a no-man's land, too is, ok, yep, I'm.
Good here.
But what do you do to continue that? Now a lot is left up to the individual professional as far as the interpreter, and what they are pursuing or not as far as their growth within their their experience as a profession.
So when there's these disconnects between, you know, what's happening in the clinic exam room, and what decisions are being made in the c-suite executive.
And what the professionals who are coming into these organizations, whether they're staff or contract interpreters, or what have you it's, just all segmented and siloed and so that's, you know that next level that we need to get to if we're hoping to survive, because you know in reflecting what you just said, there has been a great deal of work done a lot of work needs to be done is still, but from you know, how do you manage the flow in the process of a clinic encounter that is supported because of all the other things that happened for people who never have any interaction or touch point with a patient? Therefore also not with an interpreter.
So we really need to connect with those individuals those roles within the profession it's in order for healthcare interpreting to as you say, go with them to the next level right? And and I, really think, you know, again, it's the dollars and cents that are it just comes down to that, even as a as a professional and and looking for development and professional opportunities and you, you know, you're looking at conferences you're, looking at classes, you're looking at experiences if you're not making money and you're, not getting paid, how do you? How do you balance out in your mind? Okay, I'm going to invest Exmoor dollars in these skills, because there there isn't the work.
And so I think healthcare does a disadvantage to the profession and to themselves really when they don't support and understand the full scope.
And there is that disconnect to close that gap.
If you know, c-suite executives, or, or any managers who haven't had that experience encourage them to shadow, encourage them to go along with an interpreter for an appointment or two that's, really important, because then you can actually see what's happening.
You can manage it.
The buyer never is an interpreter.
It just never is there's so many departments in areas.
So if you want to be able to continue on healthcare wants to continue to have a value added service, and something that can be can provide tangible value.
We really got to start digging in, and having that having that business conversation.
Because while again it's, not.
The first thing we think about, when we come - into the profession and usually it's.
The last, it should be the first.
Because if we want us to sustain the work that we do and continue doing what we love got to talk about it.
Yeah.
So we all know we have value.
We just have to figure out that piece as to how do we make it real and tangible in particular for the people who are sometimes the most remote or removed from that interpret interpret encounter and who have all the decision-making influence and empower in that scenario, but it can be done.
Yes, yeah.
So we're, hoping that we can keep adding sharing information and thoughts and ideas.
And hopefully, you know, in our time, we'll see healthcare, really embracing interpreters and really really allowing healthcare interpreting to truly be a profession.
So well, thanks for checking out.
This video feel free to add your comments in the comment section below and continue following us on social media, make sure to subscribe and thank out.
Thanks all for watching you.
