10
Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters and Translators
A S S O C I AT I ON N E W S
A
n active and respected organization,
The Texas Alliance for Patient
Services
(TAPS)
Dallas/Fort
Worth Region held an afternoon
program “Enhancing the Patient Experience” at
Texas Health Resource University in Dallas on
Friday, June 21, 2013. The Texas Association of
Healthcare Interpreters and Translation (TAHIT),
was one of several sponsors of this great event,
also presenting a workshop was the President of
TAHIT, Oscar Uribe, on the topic of “Language.”
TAHIT’s mission
“To promote language
access within healthcare by facilitating
training, education, and communication
between government, provider, and individual
stakeholders”
perfectly aligns and supports
TAPS’ mission of
“advancing the development
of healthcare professionals who impact patient
experience”
in order to improve patient care
through advancing and providing professional
development programs to enhance patient-
centered communication, promoting quality of
care, and safety amongst healthcare providers and
patients which is essential in better patient care.
In a recent e-news article in Mind The Gap
organization entitled,
Ten ReasonsWhy Hospitals,
Health Plans and Medical Groups Should Invest
in Developing Their Physicians’ Patient-Centered
Communication Skills
, indicates that “…poor
communication tops the list of patient complaints
about their physicians” and although the quality
of the provider or healthcare organization is
important, poor or non-existent communication
between patient and providers impacts “…the
quality of patient’s diagnosis, treatment, outcome
and cost.”
(a)
The
“Enhancing the Patient Experience”
program
provided and communicated to participants
the importance of investing and improving
the medical experience of patients. Mr. Jazz
Patterson, Manager of Operational and Clinical
Excellence at Texas Health Dallas and Mark
J. Davis, Operational and Clinical Excellence
Leader, Emergency Room Department at Texas
Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas spoke
eloquently about patient experiences and the
role of healthcare organizations.
In addition to the above speakers, the
afternoon’s educational workshops in areas
such,
“Legislative Updates,”
by David J.
Tesmer, MPA, Senior Vice President, Community
Engagement at Texas Health Resources, and
“Service Excellence”
by Virginia Rose-Harris, Vice
President for Operations and the Administrator of
the Margot Perot Center for Women and Infants
at Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas Hospital,
presented a worthwhile event to attendees and
a great experience for TAHIT.
(a)
Mind The Gap e-news article
“Ten Reasons Why
Hospitals, Health Plans and Medical Groups Should
Invest in Developing Their Physicians’ Patient-
Centered Communication Skills,”
May 29, 2013,
healthcommunications.wordpress.com
TAHIT Sponsors Professional Development
Workshops at the TAPS June 21
st
Program
By AIDA CASES, NORTH TEXAS TAHIT CHAPTER LEADER
