AHN, Highmark Health Aim to Bridge Language Gaps in Health Care with New ‘I Speak’ Card Program

Each year, thousands of AHN patients and Highmark members require interpretation services to better understand their care journeys

PITTSBURGH - Allegheny Health Network (AHN), in partnership with its parent organization Highmark Health, today announced the launch of "I Speak," a campaign to improve communication with non-English speaking patients or with patients whose first language isn't English. The campaign uses hospital posters, handouts, and wallet cards to help caregivers quickly identify a patient's preferred language and swiftly connect them to appropriate interpreter services upon arrival to an AHN medical facility.

"I Speak" was originally introduced last year at Highmark Health's insurance arm, Highmark Inc., in retail locations throughout Delaware. Today's announcement marks a significant expansion of the program to its health care facilities in the western Pennsylvania region and Highmark's Direct Stores in Pennsylvania and New York.

The wallet-sized cards, designed to mimic an insurance card, are printed in 29 languages including American Sign Language (ASL) and are placed in all high-traffic areas - like emergency departments and labor & delivery units - across the network's 10 acute, full-service hospitals. They are also being made available at AHN's outpatient medical facilities.

Each year, thousands of AHN patients and Highmark members require real-time translation services when receiving care, making an appointment, or seeking information about their insurance coverage. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 25 million people in the U.S. have limited English proficiency.

According to research published by Midwestern University, communication barriers between patients and health professionals may negatively impact the quality of medical care. For example, patients who present at a health care facility with a language barrier are more likely to receive larger workups like blood draws, longer emergency department stays, more hospital admissions, and increased medical charges.

Lack of appropriate medical interpretation has also been cited as a source of increased anxiety for patients, and patients with language barriers have been known to spend less time with certain therapies, experience more medical errors, and are much less likely to seek mental health counseling.

The "I Speak" initiative is led by Highmark Health's Institute for Strategic Social and Workforce Programs (S2W), a team focused on accessible, high-quality care across the region and beyond.

"When we can better understand one another, we can better take care of one another," said Veronica Villalobos, vice president of S2W at AHN and Highmark Health. "Our primary goal with every initiative is to ensure that all patients and members we serve receive the best possible care, regardless of their primary language. 'I Speak' cards at AHN facilities specifically empower patients to communicate their needs effectively and ensure that our care teams can provide appropriate support."

After a patient identifies his or her preferred language, AHN can engage with its language interpreter service provider, Cyracom, which is available 24/7 and tailored for healthcare specific needs and requests.

"This program helps to ensure requests for interpretation services made by AHN caregivers take place with maximum efficiency and minimum misunderstanding," Villalobos continued. "It's an opportunity for our organization to further simplify care and improve the patient experience for everyone we serve.

Across AHN facilities from January through June of this year, Spanish was the most requested non-English language by a significant margin (25.7%), followed by Haitian Creole (22.7%), Nepali, Arabic, and ASL (American Sign Language). Out of all answered calls to 412-DOCTORS, 46% were Spanish-speaking callers with the second non-English speaking language being Nepali at 14.1%.

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