Hospitals: interpreters.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, the licensing and certification of health facilities, including, but not limited to, general acute care hospitals. Existing law requires general acute care hospitals to, among other things, adopt and annually review its policy and procedures for providing assistance to patients with language or communication barriers to ensure access to health care information and services for limited-English-speaking or non-English-speaking residents and deaf residents. Existing law requires that the procedures ensure, to the extent possible, as determined by the hospital, that interpreters are available, either on the premises or accessible by telephone, 24 hours per day. This bill would, in addition, require the policy to ensure meaningful access to translation and interpreter services by limited-English-speaking or non-English-speaking individuals and to include appropriate criteria for demonstrating the proficiency of the translation and interpreter services. The bill would require the policy to include procedures for discussing with the patient any cultural, religious, or spiritual beliefs or practices of the patient that may influence care, and that the procedures be designed to increase hospital staff ability to understand and respond effectively to the cultural needs of patients. The bill would require the hospital to review the standards of health care interpreting, as prescribed. Existing law requires hospitals to notify their employees of the hospital's commitment to provide interpreters to all patients who request them. This bill would, in addition, require the hospital to notify employees of the hospital's commitment that the interpreter communicate information about the unique needs of the patient to the health care team.