Nationwide, 74 percent of hospitals serve patients whose primary language is not English. As the country’s fourth largest city, Houston numbers may be even higher. The city is home to a diverse population with immigrants from Central and South America and various countries in Asia, many of whom speak only their native language.

With so many non-English-speaking residents, accurate communication can be a challenge. It’s particularly important in the medical field, making finding staff with both job skills and bilingual abilities vital.

Without bilingual staff, patients must rely upon friends or family members – sometimes minors – to translate their diagnosis or treatment plan. This can cause miscommunication that can be harmful – even deadly.

There are several methods to communicate with LEP (Limited English Proficiency) patients, including various translation and interpretation models, but this article will focus on recruiting bilingual medical staff.

Where Can Medical Employers Find Bilingual Employees?

Professional Associations and Trade Organizations. Groups that are dedicated to specific healthcare professions can provide valuable leads. Nearly every medical, nursing or allied healthcare position has an organization for those in the field.

Local Chambers of Commerce. Turn to this resource for connections to local candidates. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, for example, has city and state chapters around the United States.

Colleges and Universities. Local educational facilities that offer programs to train nurses, technicians and other medical staff frequently offer ESL (English as a Foreign Language) resources. Contacting area schools can lead you to candidates with both the job requirements and language proficiency your facility needs to best serve your patients.

Translation Services. If you are unable to hire the bilingual staff you need, consider using a translator or interpreter at least in the interim. They can provide accurate communication with LEP patients in the absence of bilingual medical staff.

Healthcare Recruitment Agencies.

Rely on healthcare recruiting firms such as Team1Medical to help you find the talent you need to handle a diverse patient population. Healthcare recruiting firms may be the quickest and most efficient method of locating bilingual medical staff. They will have extensive databases of qualified candidates they can put you in touch with. In addition, these firms know where to recruit the people who are fluent in more than one language. Partnering with a medical recruiting firm is the best strategy for a medical practice to implement, as the recruiting firm takes care of all of the sourcing, vetting and hiring of bilingual healthcare staff.

If your medical practice is looking for bilingual employees, contact Team1Medical Staffing. We have been in business for more than 20 years and have become one of the premier healthcare staffing firms in the Houston area. We are passionate about what we do, and we can help your practice find the people you need. Our service and reliability are unmatched. Contact us today to learn more about our medical recruiting services in the Gulf Coast Region.