What Does It Cost?

Over-the-Phone Interpreting

Instant telephone access to interpreters in over 200 languages.

We connect you to experienced interpreters with the highest ratings in client satisfaction.

• No appointments needed. Call when you are ready.
• Average connect time of 20 seconds.
• Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Instant access to more than 5,000 interpreters.
  
  
• No set up or maintenance fee.
• Pay only for the minutes used – nominal monthly minimum.

Video Remote Interpreting

Instant video remote access for your critical, visual interpreting needs.

We offer the industry's most advanced, comprehensive solution for clear, real-time video communication, with qualified and professional Interpreters.

Instant, on-demand service for Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL). Other languages are available by appointment.

• No set up or maintenance fee.
• Pay only for the minutes used – nominal monthly minimum.

Document Translation

For text-based language needs. Great for patient forms, pre-and post-op instructions, consent forms, etc.

• A native speaker translates a first draft, which is then edited and proofread by a second translator.
• Average turnaround is five business days.
• When required, we offer Certified Translation Services (notarized for legal use).
  
  

A Lot Simpler Than You Probably Think...

Once you decide to enroll in our Language Service, we’ll assign an account number to your practice and create an instruction card:

We’ll send you enough cards for every member of your staff who might need one.

When your staff member encounters a limited-English patient (either on the phone or in person), all they’ll need to do is:

• Call the toll-free number on the card
• Enter 1 for Spanish or 2 for any other language (followed by the language code)
• Enter your practice account number.

A live operator will come on the line and ask for:

• The caller’s name
• The practice name
• An identifying ID (not the full name – HIPAA issues) of the patient.

Our system will then search its database of over 5,000 interpreters, covering over 200 languages. Once a match is found, the interpreter will come on the line and be ready to begin the session.

What if you don’t know what language the patient is speaking?

If the patient is on the phone, our operator can usually identify the language if you put the patient on the call. If the patient is there in person, have them look at the Language ID Poster (see below) that we provide and just point to the language they use.

How Does Your Practice Handle This?

• You receive a phone call like this: “I’d like to make an appointment for my father. He only speaks Greek.”
  
  
• A new patient shows up in your reception area and your reception staff isn’t sure what language she speaks.
  
  
• One of your doctors is speaking with a patient and the doc is pretty sure that what he’s saying isn’t being understood.
  
  
• One of your staff is making a post-procedure follow-up call to a patient and the only English-speaking person available is the patient’s teenage daughter.

In each case, your practice is required by law to provide the exact same services that you would to any English-speaking patient. And that the patient must be provided with the proper opportunity to understand conversations, diagnoses, medication instructions, etc.

So, What Do You Do?

Well, there are several things you can’t do: You can’t send them away and ask them to bring an interpreter next time. You can’t ask one of your staff people who speaks their language to come over and intrepret. You can’t all just speak a lot louder and hope they understand...

The only thing you can legally do is arrange for the services of a qualified interpreter to enter into the provider-patient setting. And you’d better do it right now, because the doc and the patient are just sitting there staring at each other.

Here’s Where We Come In

If you had arranged to become a client of Highland Language Services before that limited-English patient came into your office, all you’d do at this point is place a very simple call to our toll-free number, and in about 45 seconds (only 20 seconds for Spanish) an interpreter would come into the conversation and start right into the provider-patient conversation. That’s all it takes!