Ensuring Language Services During the Coronavirus Outbreak
The recent outbreak of coronavirus has health experts and many businesses on high alert. Due to the rapidly evolving situation and novelty of “COVID-19,” the potential and methods for transmission remain unclear.
The health, safety, and welfare of our friends like you and the customers you serve is of utmost concern to us. Public health concerns like this touches all industries. However, it, of course will affect healthcare most of all. Out of precaution, Language Services Associates is also monitoring the progress of the virus and collaborating with many of our clients and partners to address this major health challenge. We will continue to be an active partner with you in your preparation efforts and in the event of a pandemic.
The Time is Now for Business Continuity Planning
Many customers are also asking about contingency planning should they need to move to a heightened quarantine model or if government authorities order less access to facilities. To be prepared, we are recommending all clients to plan now for enhanced migration to a video platform in the event personnel access to your facilities becomes more restrictive.
To help you mitigate further risk, and plan, we are encouraging all organizations who need language services to adopt our video remote interpretation services in lieu of in-person engagements. If you haven’t already done so, we can help you put a plan in place to:
- move your face-to-face interpreters over to video remote interpreting (VRI) using our IRIS app
- quickly scale interpreting by telephone through INTERPRETALK
- deliver American Sign language interpretation by video
- obtain back up services to your existing language service providers in the event they are unable to deliver given the demand or due to interpreters being exposed to the virus because they are in a call center environment
- deploy our newest option to integrate video remote interpreting-on-demand directly into your existing telehealth platform and workflows
- enhance online conferencing (Go-To-Meeting, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and others) with interpreters by API or phone
Our Dispersed Network of Interpreters Helps Avoid Risks
Language Services Associates provides access to a highly qualified global roster workforce of remotely distributed interpreters in over 235+ languages. Access to highly secure, remote interpretation services helps your organization continue to meet compliance guidelines as well as minimize the risk of virus exposure and the rapid spread of infectious disease. Unlike a large call center that can be compromised by an outbreak, our network provides access to distributed points of service and ensures the chance of uninterrupted service.
We are also experienced in disaster efforts and rapidly deployed interpretation services for government entities during several national crises over the years, most recently hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Because the best time to prepare is now, please contact us at planning@lsa-inc.azurewebsites.net to get more information on how your organization can be prepared.
We encourage you to continue to stay informed by following updates and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
