Language Access Services for Latinos with Limited English Proficiency

Lessons Learned from Hablamos Juntos

By: WU S, RIDGELY MS, ESCARCE JJ and MORALES LS

The number of Latino immigrants in the United States increased from 8.4 million to 16.1 million between 1990 and 2000. More than half of these immigrants have limited English proficiency (LEP). This creates a language barrier between provider and patient in a health care setting that may adversely impact health and health care. In 2002, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched Hablamos Juntos (HJ) to improve access to health care for Latinos with LEP and to explore cost-effective ways for health care organizations to provide access to language services.