Language Accessibility in Medical Practice with Puentes De Salud

Effective communication is essential in all areas of life, but what happens when a lack of language accessibility hinders effective communication? How do we ensure that a language barrier doesn’t affect the care and outcomes of a patient? Join us to discuss language accessibility in medical systems with four Promotoras, also known as Puentes de Salud’s community health workers; Rosalinda Hernandez, Irma Zamora, Zulma Guzman, and Isabel Garcia. 

“Language is more than just reading and writing. It is the core foundation and traditions one brings with them from home. It is the appreciation of culture and celebration of individuals in seeing them exactly as they are and meeting them there,” says Orfelina Feliz Payne, Executive Director of Puentes de Salud. 

Language Accessibility in Medical Practice is scheduled for Saturday, September 28, from 4-5:30 PM. The FREE lecture will be held at Puentes De Salud, 1700 South St, Philadelphia, PA. This event is fully wheelchair accessible and will be primarily in Spanish with English interpretation provided. Parking is available in the South Street Parking Garage. Metered parking is also available on South Street and the surrounding block. Language Accessibility in Medical Practice is organized in conjunction with, an immersive art installation by artist Pepón Osorio at Thomas Jefferson University. 

Puentes de Salud is an organization that promotes the health and well-being of the immigrant Latino community in South Philadelphia. With an entirely bilingual staff, Puentes excels at offering high-quality medical services, innovative education programs, and community development. This event will address how to provide the necessary care a patient needs, regardless of their dominant language, through available resources and local partnerships. We invite health professionals and anyone interested in advocating for language accessibility to join this conversation to ensure a more inclusive and effective healthcare environment. Light refreshments will be served at the event.

The Puentes Promotora program consists of community leaders who serve as health and outreach workers to increase Puentes’ reach into the community. They tackle important health issues outside the clinic setting. The Promotoras address a wide range of issues including diabetes prevention, prenatal care, COVID-19 education, nutrition, and more. They lead workshops, conduct outreach, contribute to clinic services, and provide individual support and patient navigation.

Thank you to our community partner, Puentes De Salud, for making this event possible. Major support for Convalescence has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from the Wagner Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Questions? Contact Chelsea-Mia Pierre, Public Programs Manager for Convalescence, at [email protected]. 

About Puentes De Salud

Founded in 2004 by Steven Larson, MD, and Jack Ludmir, MD, Puentes de Salud is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that promotes the health and well-being of the immigrant Latino community in South Philadelphia through high-quality medical services, innovative education programs, and community development. The mission of Puentes de Salud is two-fold: First, to partner with Philadelphia’s rapidly growing Latinx immigrant community to build long-term prosperity by addressing immediate education, health, and social service needs. Second, to create a responsible learning environment for future generations of advocates, educators, and healthcare providers to examine Social Justice and Structural Violence, and to explore their impacts on the Social Determinants of Health within a marginalized community. To learn more about Puentes De Salud, go to puentesdesalud.org.

About Convalescence

Thomas Jefferson University presents Convalescence, an immersive installation by internationally renowned, Philadelphia-based artist Pepón Osorio. Convalescence is free and open to all from September 3 to November 1, 2024, on Jefferson's health sciences campus in Center City Philadelphia, continuing Osorio’s practice of premiering works in the environments that inform them. Convalescence is rooted in the artist’s personal experience of cancer diagnosis and treatment. The project highlights systemic health and health care inequities in the U.S. and includes stories from other Philadelphians of color who have lived through, or are currently experiencing, life-threatening illnesses. Drawing on relationships with groups typically underserved by the health care system, Osorio’s installation explores the nature of community-based care. The project extends Jefferson's ongoing medical humanities program, which engages students in the arts and humanities in parallel with their health professions education. A series of public programs created with community-based partners will be coordinated in conjunction with the installation. To learn more about Convalescence, go to Jefferson.edu/Convalescence.

Host or Publisher Jefferson Humanities & Health