Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees - GCIR

According to 2005 U.S. Census Bureau data, almost 52 million people speak a language other than English at home. More than 23 million (8.6 percent of the population) speak English less than “very well.” In a recent national survey, 63 percent of hospitals reported encountering lim-ited English proficiency (LEP) patients either daily or weekly, with an addi-tional 17 percent encountering LEP patients at least monthly.2 Indeed, over 100 languages are spoken by patients in NAPH member hospitals. Even though clear communication is a key component of high-quality health care, adequate funding of interpretive services for LEP patients remains a key issue for public hospitals and health systems.