Spoken interpretation services available to community specialists

Over the course of 2022, spoken language interpretation services have been well-received by specialists practicing in community offices with 19 different specialties accessing this service for a combined monthly average of 50 hours across a multitude of languages, with the most popular languages being Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Cantonese, and Korean. This usage has proven the need for ongoing financial and administrative support. If you work within a health authority site, this service can be accessed through your health authority process at no cost to yourself.

To further support the care of patients in the community office setting and to support access to the Spoken Language Translation, the CBS Working Group has now approved a pilot to expand this service to office-based allied health teams.

How members of the office team can connect with an interpreter:

The pilot is designed so that there is a unique access code, dedicated by specialty, for use by allied health team members. When a team member makes the request for the Spoken Language Translation Services they will first be asked their access code, and then identification of their professional role (i.e. RN, MOA, RT etc.) as well as what type of specialty they are affiliated with. Please note that only allied health personnel working directly within a clinic structure are eligible to access this service. 

Should you wish to have team members in your clinic access this service, please email sscbc@doctorsofbc.ca indicating:

• that you approve the use of the Spoken Language Translation Service by your office-based allied health team
• you have requested that the process be set
• the name and email of one team member who will be the key contact .

Upon receipt of this information a confirmation email will be provided to you, upon which the key contact for your allied health team can then request the unique access code, again by request to sscbc@doctorsofbc.ca.

Accessible through the Provincial Language Service (PLS), professional interpreters offer services that are available:

• Via telephone
• 24 hours, 7 days a week
• On-demand
• In about 240 languages

How specialists can connect with an interpreter:

To use this service through the SSC pilot program, community-based specialists will be asked to provide an access code for their specialty. Access codes were recently emailed to specialists by their Section Head. Access codes are also available by emailing SSC (for a response within one business day). For immediate support with access codes between Monday and Friday, 8:30am to 430pm, please call 604 736 5551 or 1 800 665 2262.

1. Call 1.833.718.2154 (toll free).
2. Select a language. 
3. Enter your access code,.
4. Indicate you are a member Doctors of BC.
5. Wait 30-60 seconds to connect with an interpreter.

To learn more about the PLS, visit the Provincial Health Services Authority website.

For more information about the pilot program, email SSC.