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We’re a little over one month into a new year, and we thought that now would be a good time to take stock of where we are now, as well as where we and the translation industry are going in 2015 and beyond. To begin with, 2014 was a year of unprecedented growth and achievement for Avantpage. With the economy on the upswing, our organization followed suit, literally doubling our client base and translating a total of 7,741,320 words in 2014. According to recent data mined from our annual customer survey, 97% of our clients indicated that they are either satisfied or very satisfied with our deliverables –– as quality and customer service remain at the forefront. The past year also saw Avantpage interacting more directly with clients under the guidance of our new Senior Director of Client Services, David Serra. “I’ve always felt that face-to-face, direct and honest communication plays a huge role in client/vendor relations,” Serra commented. “For me, taking the time to call or meet in-person is invaluable for understanding and mitigating client concerns, especially as we embrace and utilize new technologies.” Some of Serra’s initiatives for Avantpage included increasing Avantpage’s presence at conferences held throughout the year; promoting client collaboration through enhanced communication; increasing face-to-face client interaction; and providing greater understanding of our services, processes and technologies through demos, information sheets and other materials, as well as one-on-one communication with existing customers. Highlights include CEO Luis Miguel’s visit to LocWorld in Vancouver, B.C., the world’s premier event for localization professionals, where he met with vendors of new technology tools to see what new products and features are available to better serve our clients. To further connect with clients, Avantpage boosted participation in social media during 2014, establishing a presence on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, as well as our company blog. In our blog postings, we continued to keep readers informed about industry trends, organization happenings and information. 2015 marks the grand opening of Avantpage’s new Seattle offices, providing a brick-and-mortar Pacific Northwest presence and enabling us to be closer to our clients in that area. Our Seattle location places us squarely in the center of the PNW technology growth sector, enabling us to keep a finger on the pulse of innovations, trends and industry changes. Also in 2015, industry veteran Lori Ann Reinhall joins Avantpage as Quality Manager, where she will enhance recruitment efforts and oversee the quality control process. With over twenty years of experience, she will work together with Serra and Director of Client Services Vera Hooijdonk and support the project management team at large. This year, Avantpage is committed to delivering even greater value to our clients through the release of AvantFlow 2.0, allocation of more time to one-on-one personal service, and our expansion into the emerging “Cloud.” Powered by cutting-edge XTRF™ technology, the company’s signature translation management system AvantFlow 2.0 now offers clients a fully secure virtual workspace for 24/7 service with live-time project-tracking and invoicing capacity – all at no extra cost. Through these initiatives, Avantpage is moving ahead as both a translation services provider and translations solutions provider, as we take on more of a “trusted advisor” role with our clients and refine our needs-based approach to language services. According to Avantpage CEO Luis Miguel, “From manpower to technology, we now have the pieces in place to move forward in the direction I’ve always envisioned for my organization … These are exciting times, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings – both for Avantpage and for the translation industry as a whole.”

When considering the best way to tackle a translation project, it’s easy to get confused about the differences between machine translation (MT) and translation memory (TM). Both are valuable tools to get the job done, but each one comes with its own pros and cons. Let’s take a look at both methods and how they may impact your company’s translation and localization projects. Online tools like Google Translate and Bing Translator are great for quickly translating small snippets of text or to gain a general understanding of content that’s presented in an unfamiliar language. Machine translation uses a complex structure of computer algorithms to substitute closely-related words for one another. However, like a child’s game of Telephone, the longer and complex phrases become, the less effective the machine translation becomes. While rudimentary lingual conversion may have its place in a non-essential communications, it’s simply not the correct choice for translation jobs like healthcare documentation or election ballot information that requires precision, top-notch quality. Indeed, in some instances, reliance on machine translation software may jeopardize client confidentiality. Auto-translated content may even be bad for business. Machine translation is adequate for: One of the most helpful tools in a professional translator’s arsenal is translation memory. Human translators use the technology to store segments of previously translated content for future retrieval and reuse. It’s particularly useful when localizing content that includes a high level of repetition or requires several translators to work on large-scale projects together. Translation memory helps teams maintain consistency throughout documents and projects, while saving time and money by not forcing them to translate the same segments over and over. Using translation memory tools, previously translated material can also be easily saved and applied to future translation jobs as needed. Translation memory is great for: Machine translation is a good option for casual or social use, but it’s simply not up to the task of effectively managing the translation needs of today’s localization and translation projects. Its results are not sufficiently reliable for use in most business settings, from website globalization projects to the translation of important corporate or customer-facing documents. Translation memory software has a proven history of helping companies save time and money, while helping organizations build repositories of data for subsequent projects. Many businesses also enjoy quicker turnaround times without sacrificing the personal touch necessary for capturing the nuances of human language. Using a combination of translation memory and other industry tools, Avantpage was able to efficiently translate over one million words in just nine days without compromising quality or consistency. Have a look at our extensive list of client case studies to learn more about how we can assist you with your next translation project, or contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation and quote.

E-learning is a simple, economical way for people to receive online training tailored to fit their needs, right down to the languages they speak. E-learning allows companies to provide their employees with content-rich training, delivered over the Internet to their employees’ desktops, laptops or other devices. E-learning gives consumers easy access to all types of business and professional coursework, from computer and technology training to certification programs, classroom-type instruction, and online education courses in a nearly infinite variety of subjects. If you dream it, chances are you can learn it online through an e-learning course. As e-learning has risen in popularity, so has the need to produce e-learning coursework in a variety of languages. This is especially relevant to companies with a global workforce in place. Creating e-learning content in numerous languages makes sense when your workforce is multi-lingual and international.  Translating e-learning modules into a variety of languages is also smart when you are catering to clientele in various cultures. Translating e-learning materials is more than just linguistics. Audio and video must sync correctly, text must match graphic elements, supplemental coursework and materials must be accurately translated, and software for testing and assessments must perform correctly. At Avantpage, we offer e-learning translation and localization designed to present content in the languages you choose. Voice-Over Audio, Subtitles, Text Translation, Graphics – we provide a wide range of e-learning translation and localization services. Contact us today to discover more about e-learning translation and localization, and to get started with a free quote. If you like more detailed information or consultation,
please feel free to contact
David Serra,
Senior Director of Client Services tel: 530 750 2040 x12
cel: 530 400 2890

Every year, Avantpage conducts a survey designed to gather information from our clients on how we are doing and where we can improve. This year is no different. We are putting the finishing touches on our 2014 Survey, and hope to have it in our clients’ hands by the second week of December. We believe in staying connected with the folks who use and depend on our translation and linguistic services, and we also believe that customer care is a two-way street. By surveying our clientele, we gain information that helps us determine which services are utilized most, where we need to focus more time and energy, and where we can consolidate or combine our efforts to be more effective. Every survey response counts, and by taking the time to listen to our respondents, we gain the information we need to implement positive change based on client needs and wants. From adding additional services to refining our software and project management systems, the survey gives our clients a voice for change that we take very seriously. We strongly encourage all our clients to take our survey, and we will be sending out an email with the survey attached in the next week or so. The survey takes only minutes to complete online, but the information gleaned from it will allow Avantpage to concentrate on improving the client experience by delivering service of exceptional quality and value. Avantpage will post our 2014 Survey results in a subsequent blog and client email.

Parents Offer False Information on Language Surveys to Help Kids Avoid “English Learner” Classification An article written by Amy Taxin of The Associated Press and appearing in the Sacramento Bee (Parents Lie on Language Survey, 11/17/14) discussed how some parents do not always tell the truth on their children’s school language surveys. The California public school system provides a simple home language survey for parents of kindergarteners, which is intended to identify “English Learners” and give them extra assistance in learning English. The survey asks what languages are spoken at home, and many parents choose “English” even when that is not their primary home language. According to census data, almost 44 percent of California residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English. The most common language is Spanish. Parents who speak a language other than English at home do not want their children labeled as “English Learners,” because they fear that this designation will hold them back in school. They feel that their children should not be separated out from native English-speaking children, and worry that their children could miss out on learning opportunities if this occurs. Educators, on the other hand, say that failing to identify English Learners properly can violate federal laws guaranteeing access to education, and prevents the children from receiving the language assistance they need. There are no easy answers for this situation, and parents who believe strongly that their children not be labeled will continue to indicate that their children and family members speak English at home, even when they do not. Even though children of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) families can assimilate into school as English speakers, their parents and grandparents often still struggle with English and require translation into their primary language in order to read and understand education, health care and legal materials. They may also prefer to read other written documents and information in their primary language, even though they read and write some English. For more information on translation and other linguistic services, please visit www.avantpage.com. We provide translation, localization, DTP, and a host of other linguistic services to help organizations facilitate communication in all languages both locally and globally. If you like more detailed information or consultation,
please feel free to contact
David Serra,
Senior Director of Client Services tel: 530 750 2040 x12
cel: 530 400 2890

When a person with LEP (Limited English Proficiency) picks up their medication from a California pharmacy, sometimes they cannot read the instruction label.  Pharmacies are required to offer oral interpretation services to provide instruction to patients, but they are not required to provide translated labeling on medication bottles. Pharmacists resist bilingual labeling because they feel that they are unable to validate medication instructions in a language they do not speak or understand, and therefore would be held liable for any mistakes occurring in the translation. Language access advocates feel strongly that there is greater risk to patients when they cannot read the labeling, and they promote translation of printed labels. There is proposed legislation to require translated labeling in California.  A committee met in September to make a formal recommendation, and now the proposed statutory requirement waits for further work by a board committee before it is reviewed by the state board of pharmacy in late January. Other states have other requirements. New York passed the Safe Rx Act in 2012, which requires pharmacy chains of eight stores or more to provide oral interpretation at the pharmacy either in person or by phone and to provide translated prescription labels in Chinese, Italian, Russian, or Spanish to non–English-speaking patients. New York’s legislation makes sure pharmacies are not liable for third-party translation errors. While New York’s mandate only requires labels in four languages, many New York state pharmacies offer additional languages. Some pharmacies have voluntarily offered prescription labels in different languages. Walgreens offers prescription instructions in 21 of the languages most commonly spoken in the United States, and this service is available in many states including California. For more information on medical and healthcare translation, please visit Avantpage at www.avantpage.com. We provide a full range of linguistic services for the healthcare industry.

In a giant tour bus emblazoned with Covered California’s now-familiar logo, community members, business owners and Covered California officials hit the road Monday, November 10^th for a 21-city enrollment tour. This unique outreach program is geared toward getting as many uninsured Californians as possible to sign up for affordable health care through Covered California. With stops in Fresno, Merced, Bakersfield, and a host of other California cities, the nine-day tour is expected to reach out to a large number of interested health care consumers. This bus tour is part of a 95-million-dollar community outreach campaign to encourage enrollment and provide information. The enrollment period is shorter this time around – only three months – and so it is even more important that potential enrollees and those renewing policies start the enrollment process early. Covered California offers expanded information on their website in Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, Filipino, Khmer, Hmong, Korean, Lao, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. LEP (Limited English Proficient) enrollees can find enrollment forms, the 2015 Covered California Fact Sheet; Enrolling In Quality Health Coverage: A Step-by-Step Guide; Getting More Affordable Health Coverage, What You Need to Know; Special Enrollment Fact Sheet, and other resources in their own languages. Accurate, culturally appropriate translation is critical to helping enrollees understand and process the forms and information regarding Covered California health care. Translation is critical for health plans as well: plans need to present information so that Limited English Proficient consumers can navigate their way through coverage options and make educated health choices. For more information on health care translation, please visit our website at www.avantpage.com. Avantpage has been offering translation, localization, and other linguistic services to the health care industry for over 15 years. If you like more detailed information or consultation,
please feel free to contact
David Serra,
Senior Director of Client Services tel: 530 750 2040 x12
cel: 530 400 2890

Covered California, California’s state health insurance exchange, offers information to new enrollees in Spanish and English. Information sheets are available through the website in 11 other languages. However, once LEP (Limited English Proficiency) customers have enrolled in a health plan, notices and information have gone out to them in English, even though they indicated they would prefer to be contacted in different languages. As a result, some enrollees have received vital information detailing coverage changes or payment issues in English, and were unable to understand what was being communicated to them. Covered California is working to include more languages in its mailings, especially renewal forms. Currently these are sent out in English and Spanish, but plans are in the works to include other languages as Covered California expands. Other letters and forms have been translated and sent in Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese.  However, Covered California enrollees speak many other languages, and it is critical that important information be translated and delivered in the languages they can read and understand. Even though federal and state laws prohibit discrimination based on language, not every document is required to be translated, and required languages are based on population demographics.  This means that some languages are not represented adequately through translation, and the people who speak them may be missing important communication regarding their health care coverage, benefits, etc. If an individual feels that lack of language access contributed to a loss of benefits, they may consider filing an appeal with Covered California. Covered California’s open enrollment for 2015 coverage begins November 15, 2014 and ends February 15, 2015.  For more information on Covered California, visit their website at http://www.coveredca.com/. To learn more about how our health care translation teams provide expert, culturally sensitive health care translation in numerous threshold languages, click here, or visit www.avantpage.com Want a FREE quote? Click here to get started! If you like more detailed information or consultation,
please feel free to contact
David Serra,
Senior Director of Client Services tel: 530 750 2040 x12
cel: 530 400 2890

Recently Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 505 into effect. AB 505 was authored by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (District 46) and sponsored by the  California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN). This bill  offers greater protection to Limited English Proficient Medi-Cal enrollees by outlining new requirements for oral interpretation and written translation of Medi-Cal services. Medi-Cal has recently seen enrollment numbers increase substantially due to expansions within the Affordable Care Act. Of these new enrollees, over a third speak English “less than very well,” and are considered Limited English Proficient. It is important that these LEP Medi-Cal enrollees are provided with written materials that they can understand, follow and refer to in their own languages. Accurate translation performed by translators who are familiar with healthcare terms, jargon and legal language is critical to creating successful Medi-Cal health care outcomes. At Avantpage, we are experts at effectively and accurately communicating complex health care information to LEP audiences. We provide translation services for health care clients that meet all government requirements, and our translators specialize in the health care sector. Patients, family members and caregivers all benefit when translation is clear and accurate and understandable. For more information on our health care services, please click here. Please click on the titles to download these fact sheets: Answers to Common Customer Translation Questions
Six of Our Most-Requested Services  
Professional Healthcare Translation/Medical Translation and Professional Healthcare Language Assistance | SB853
Medicare Marketing Translation Want a FREE quote? Click here to get started! If you like more detailed information or consultation,
please feel free to contact
David Serra,
Senior Director of Client Services tel: 530 750 2040 x12
cel: 530 400 2890

Avantpage is pleased to announce that we will be partnering with L.A. Care on translations and Alternative Format Services through a new multi-year contract.   LA Care provides free and low cost comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits to low-income residents of Los Angeles County. As of January 2014, L.A. Care has enrolled 535,995 Medi-Cal members and 6,865 Medicare Advantage (SNP) members. For more information on Avantpage’s translation services for health plans, click here.  Originally known as the Local Initiative Health Authority for Los Angeles County, L.A. Care was created in 1994 by the State of California to serve Los Angeles County residents as the locally developed health plan in the county’s two-plan model. L.A. Care is a federally qualified health maintenance organization, and a California-licensed Knox-Keene health plan. Avantpage will be providing Translation and Alternative Format Services including Braille, Large Print, Audio and ADA Compliant PDFs. Avantpage will be working with L.A. Care to translate their member documentation, written and electronic materials into L.A. Care’s threshold languages. Over 50% of L.A. Care’s members prefer to communicate in a language other than English, and our translation services will allow them to take better control of their health by enhancing understanding of L.A. Care’s benefits, literature and membership information. For more information on our Alternative Formats, Click here. Avantpage looks forward to working with L.A. Care’s Cultural & Linguistic Services Unit to provide comprehensive, cost effective translation services that will boost communication between L.A. Care and its members.

Water, one of California’s most precious resources, is in short supply these days, and drastic measures have been taken to conserve water and prohibit waste. The State Water Resources Control Board passed emergency regulations that place mandatory restrictions on outdoor water use. Recent regulations include prohibitions against the following: Any employee of a public agency charged with enforcing laws could write and issue a ticket for a fine up to $500 to a violator. Violations of prohibited activities would be considered infractions. Visit this link http://www.acwa.com/content/local-drought-response to discover more ways in which local California water agencies are coping with drought conditions. Many residents and businesses are unclear on the latest water restrictions, stages, rationing and penalties for noncompliance. Adding to the confusion is the fact that each water district has different bans, restrictions and emergency measures in place. It is up to each local water agency to communicate their district’s drought management initiatives so that the community understands and complies with them. In case you are wondering what water restrictions have to do with translation, the truth is, water conservation is all about communication. Getting the word out to LEP community members is imperative so that everyone understands how, why and where to conserve. Accurate translation is key to promoting water conservation and getting information out to all community members. California’s population is diverse, with approximately 44% of California residents speaking a language other than English at home. For this reason, translation into threshold languages is essential to communicate the latest water rules and regulations. When community residents fully understand emergency regulations on water use, they are more likely to comply and support water conservation. To read a case study on how Avantpage previously provided translation solutions for the ACWA (Association of California Water Agencies), click here For more information on how Avantpage can help with translations for water agencies, visit our website at https://avantpage.com/. To receive a free translation quote, click here.

Are You in Compliance With CMS? Medicare Marketing is a specialized area that requires strict attention to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines and requirements. Designed to protect Medicare enrollees and prospects from overly aggressive sales and marketing techniques, CMS guidelines for marketers cover a variety of Medicare marketing materials. These include brochures, direct mail, general consumer advertising, promotional materials, presentation materials, membership communication materials, member handbooks, communications directed to members, website content, and much more. For more information on CMS Medicare Marketing compliance, visit http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Health-Plans/ManagedCareMarketing/FinalPartCMarketingGuidelines.html Avantpage Offers Expert, Knowledgeable, Cost-Effective Translation for All Medicare Marketing Needs: Medicare Advantage Plans (MAs), Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MA-PDs), Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs) and 1876 Cost Plans Turn to Avantpage for accurate, culturally sensitive translation that is in full compliance with CMS guidelines, rules and regulations. Our translators, project managers, technical specialists, proofreaders and support personnel have worked extensively in the healthcare industry. The knowledge and experience they bring to the table ensures that sensitive marketing materials are communicated just the way you intend them to be, while fully complying with all CMS requirements. Marketing in the healthcare industry is playing a more important role than ever before, especially in the Medicare, Health Plan and HMO sectors. Customer retention and new enrollment initiatives depend on clear communication, savvy marketing strategies and careful, dedicated attention to special marketing requirements as put forth by CMS. Accurate, high-quality translation is key to getting your message across to Medicare enrollees who are Limited English Proficient. At Avantpage, we specialize in translation for the healthcare industry, and handle translation duties for some of today’s most important healthcare entities. We offer: When you partner with us, you can be certain your translations are done properly: every word, every paragraph, every document, every time.