Supplement_9_-_Propio_Executive_Summary_.pdf

Propio Language Services

Services Offered

Over-the-Phone Interpretation (OPI)

OPI is a three-way call between you and your limited-English client, facilitated by Propio’s highly-qualified interpreters. We partner with a network of over 4,000 interpreters who collectively speak more than 200 languages. Our service is available 24/7/365, with an average connect time of 25 seconds

Video Remote Interpretation (VRI)

VRI is the video-call equivalent of OPI. Propio’s VRI service offers American Sign Language (ASL), on demand. This means you no longer need to scramble to obtain an ASL interpreter and wait hours for them to show up. Our VRI service also offers access to more commonly requested spoken languages.

Translation & Localization (T&L)

Propio translates written materials, websites, and other media. Propio has access to a network of over 3,800 highly-qualified and professionally-vetted translators covering 125+ languages.

Assessment, Training and Recruiting (ATR)

Propio can evaluate your new or existing bilingual staff to determine how fluently they speak English and their native tongue. We can also test whether bilingual staff members are qualified to act as interpreters.

Propio can also recruit and train bilingual individuals who can join your staff as qualified interpreters.

Summary of Corporate Background and Experience

Qualifications & Experience - Propio Language Services was started by Joseph Fackrell in

1998. Over the past 19 years, Propio has grown from a small Kansas-based operation to a nationwide business, coordinating interpreting and translation services in more than 200 languages for over 2,300 accounts.

Organizational Structure - Propio is set up as a partnership and an LLC legal organization, originally organized in Kansas in 2000. We have diverse and highly experienced staff, and contract with over 4,000 interpreters.

Services Offered:

Over-the-Phone Interpreting Onsite-Interpreting Document Translation Video-Remote Interpreting Embedded Bi-lingual Staffing Bi-lingual Recruiting

Size & Scope – About 60% of Propio’s 2000+ accounts across 50 states are healthcare-related). Propio services over 300,000 heath care related calls per year. We work with a wide variety of state, local, and private business, including:

Public Health Departments Mental Health Hospitals Health Clinics Special Education

Judicial hearings Call Centers Human Services Public Assistance Pediatrics

Vocational Services Public Transportation Health & Environment Legal Incarceration

Client Satisfaction - Propio’s health care clients are extremely satisfied with the speed, quality, and character of interpreters who partner with Propio. A primary key to our success is that we provide you access to experienced interpreters who derive strong satisfaction from interpreting.

We find that bilingual skill is not enough – they also need to have a passion for helping others by using their language skills.

REFERENCES:

Client Person to Contact & Phone # Virginia Employment Commission Statewide (2010-present)

Robert Mitchell, IV 804-786-8185 Robert.Mitchell@vec.virginia.gov

Wyandotte County, KS, Health Dept.

(2001-present, Health Department)

Terry Brecheisen 913-573-6707 tbrecheisen@wycokck.org

Florida Department of Elder Affairs Social Services (2010 to present)

Gretta Jones 850-414-2000 Jonesg@ElderAffairs.org

We urge you to speak to our references. This is the best way to understand the professional service provided by Propio Language Services.

Propio Quality Assurance for Interpreting Services

Propio Language Services provides access to critical interpreting services that improve the quality of life. We respect and value the trust that our clients and their non-English speaking associates have in our ability to fulfill this responsibility professionally and accurately, in every encounter. To ensure we meet this expectation, Propio has set a high standard of excellence for screening new contract interpreters and evaluating the ongoing performance of experienced interpreters.

Requirements for Contract Interpreters New to Propio

1. Must have a minimum of one year interpreting experience. Propio contractors average 8 years of interpreting experience.

2. Must pass a 150-question medical terminology assessment with a score of 90% or greater.

3. Must pass a third-party oral test for medical interpretation. The test assesses both language proficiency (using the nationally-recognized ILR scale) and interpreting skill.

4. Must pass a “mock” oral interpretation session. Interpreters are evaluated against 24 quality standards and must attain a score of 80% or greater to pass. This assessment is administered by Propio. Please refer to the following page to review the quality standards.

5. Based on this high standard, on average only 20% of prospective contract interpreters pass the screening and interpret for Propio.

Propio’s evaluation process conforms to interpreting standards defined by:

National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (NCIHC) International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) California Healthcare Interpreters Association (CHIA)

Ongoing Interpretation Quality Checks

Propio currently conducts interpreter quality standards assessments in order to ensure that our contractors comply with nationally recognized standards and recommended procedures. Interpreters taking 85% of the calls have a minimum of 3 recorded interpretation sessions reviewed against the same 24 quality standards on the prior page and must maintain a score of 80% or higher. Over-the-phone interpreters who take a low number of calls are given random quality spot checks.

Nationally Recognized Interpreter Standards Interpreters are expected to adhere to the following interpreting standards and procedures:

1. Interpreter Code of Ethics Accuracy – conveying the content and spirit of what is said Completeness – conveying everything that is said Conveying Cultural Frameworks – explaining cultural differences or practices Non-Judgmental Attitude – an interpreter’s function is to facilitate communication. Interpreters are not responsible for what is said by anyone for whom they are interpreting.

Client Self-Determination – The interpreter will not influence the opinion of patients or clients by telling them what action to take.

Attitude Towards Clients – Interpreter should strive to develop a relationship of trust and respect with the client by adopting a caring, attentive, yet discreet and impartial attitude towards the patient.

Acceptance of Assignments – An interpreter shall decline an assignment if their competency or personal sentiments make it difficult to act in a professional manner.

2. Role of the Interpreter: Propio only partners with interpreters who demonstrate they understand that their primary role is to provide an accurate and impartial interpretation of what each party is trying to communicate to the other. Interpreters know they must be watchful for verbal cues that may indicate the listeners are confused and to seek clarification as needed. Interpreters know that they need to manage the smooth flow of communication and the amount of information presented, avoiding side conversations with both parties, and preventing them from speaking simultaneously.

3. Interpreting Protocol – Propio only partners with interpreters who possess strong understanding of industry-recognized skills for conducting over-the-phone interpreting. These skills include:

Use of the “first person” method of interpreting Attending to verbal cues that may indicate the listeners are confused or do not understand, and to get clarification as needed Managing the smooth flow of communication by, for example, pacing the amount of information presented & avoiding side conversations with either party.

Asking the client for clarification when the interpreter does not understand the terminology or message.

Interpret meaning-to-meaning (listen carefully to the speaker, determine the meaning, and accurately convey speaker’s message and intent).

4. Cultural Competency: Propio only partners with interpreters who demonstrate that they will comply with industry-recognized interpreter standards for culture brokering. Interpreters seek to understand how cultural similarities and differences have a fundamental impact on the interpreting encounter. Interpreters play a critical role in identifying cultural issues and considering how and when to move to a cultural clarifier role.

Quality Assurance and Additional Certifications for Propio Contract Interpreters 100% of the interpreters who contract with Propio pass the rigorous quality assurance screening process detailed above. In addition to passing the screening process above, many have also received one or more of the following external formal certifications:

1. Healthcare: Certification by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters;

certification by the National Board of Certified Medical Interpreters.

2. Legal: Certification by NAJIT (The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators), federal certification with the AOUSC (Administrative Offices of the United States Courts) or state certification with the Consortium Project of the NCSC (National Center for State Courts).

3. All-Calls Certification for OPI Interpreters:

4 weeks of formal training, including study material with glossaries, documents, and practice scenarios for each specific industry.

1 ½ hour oral exam Industries tested: Medical, Insurance, Financial, Legal.

Background Checks and Security Screen – As part of the contracting process, interpreters must pass multiple background checks:

Social Security Number Trace / Address History / Alias Names Criminal Record Search – 10 years where allowed by law for felony and misdemeanor National Criminal Database Search Sex Offender Registry Search Homeland Security Check (OFAC Compliance) Office of Inspector General / EPLS Search – Identifies individuals that are barred from working with government-reimbursed expenses

Data Collection Abilities

Propio has the ability to capture almost any information requested by the client. Unless the client requests otherwise, we collect and report the following information to the client on their invoice:

- Date

- Start time

- End time

- Interpreter ID number

- Client’s account number

- Language

- Caller’s name

- Limited-English speaker’s first name

- Call Length

- Charges for call

Reporting

Propio can provide customized reports upon request at no extra charge to the client. In addition, a client web-portal will be completed within the next year. This will allow clients to easily access key reports about their usage of services.

Other Services

24 / 7 Customer & Technical Support – Our Customer & Technical Support teams are available around the clock to provide assistance when needed.

Quarterly Conference Call – Propio succeeds only if our clients are highly satisfied with our services. For that reason, we like to hold a quarterly conference call with your key representative.

The primary objective of the call is to find out if new needs are emerging and how we can improve our service to you.

Issue Resolution – Although client complaints are rare, we do take them seriously. Within 4 business hours of receiving a customer complaint, our service division will contact you to gather all the relevant details. Within 2 business days of receiving the complaint, Propio will investigate the complaint and contact the customer with possible remedies.

Conference Calling: Propio will set up multi-party domestic conference calls upon request. There is no extra charge for this service. Most of our competitors will charge for this service.

200+ Languages for Over-the-Phone Interpreting

Afghani (Pashto) Dutch Japanese Mandarin Sinhala (Sinhalese)

Afrikaans Dyula (Dioula, Jula) Jarai Mandingo Sinhalese (Sinhala)

Akan Estonian Javanese Mandinka Slovak

Albanian (Gheg, Tosk) Ewe Jula (Dyula, Dioula) Marathi Slovenian

Algerian Falam Kachin Marshallese Somali

Amharic Fante Kanjobal Mien Soninke

Amoy Farsi (Persian) Kannada Mina Soso

Arabic Fijian Kaqchikel Minangkabau Spanish

Armenian Filipino Karen Mirpuri Sudanese

Asante Finnish Karenni Mixteco Alto Swahili

Assyrian Flemish Kazakh Mixteco Bajo Swedish

Azerbaidjani (Azeri) French Kejia (Hakka Chinese) Moldovian Sylheti

Badini Fugian Khmer (Cambodian) Mongolian Syriac

Bahasa Fukienese Kikongo Montenegro Tagalog

Bajuni Fulani Kikuyu Navajo Taiwanese

Bamanankan (Bambara) Fuzhou Kinyarwanda Nepal i Tajik

Bambara (Bamanankan) Ga Kirgiz (Kyrgyz) Norwegian Tamil (Sri Lankan & Indian)

Bangla GARRE Kirundi Nuer Tedim

Basque Garre Kiswahil i Oriya Telugu

Baungs he (Haka, Haka Chin, Hakha, La i , La i Chin. Pawni)

Georgian Korean Oromo Teochew

Belrusian German Krio_Sierra Leone Ouoloff (Wolof) Teochew (Teochiu)

Bengali Greek Kurdish Pashto (Afghani) Tetum

Berber Gujarati Kurdish Badini Patois Thai

Bosnian Haka (Baugs he, Haka Chin, Hakha, La i , La i Chin, Pawni )

Kurdish Kurmanji Pawi (Hakha-Chin) Tibetan

Bravanese Haka Chin (Baugshe, Haka, Hakha, La i , La i Chin, Pawni )

Kurdish Sorani Persian (Farsi) Tigre (Tigrinya)

Bulgarian Hakha (Baugshe, Haka, Haka Chin, Lai , La i Chin, Pawni )

Kyrgyz (Kirgiz) Pidgin Tigrinya (Tigre)

Burmese Hakka Chinese (Kejia) La i (Baughshe, Ha ka, Haka Chin, Hakha, La i Chin, Pawni )

Polish Tohono O'Odham

Cambodian (Khmer) Hassaniya La i Chin (Baughshe, Ha ka, Haka Chin, Hakha , La i , Pawni )

Portuguese Toisan (Taishan)

Candian French Hatian Creole Lao Portugues e Creole (Cape Verdia n Creole)

Tongan

Cantonese Hausa Laotian Pulaar Turkish

Cape Verdian Creole (Portugues e Creole)

Hebrew Latvian Punjabi Twi

Casti l ian (Spain-Romance) Hindi Leta Putian Ukranian

Catalan Hindko Lingala Quechua Urdu

Cebuano Hmong Lithuanian Quiche Uyghur

Chaldean Hunan Luganda Romanian Uzbek

Chin Hungarian Lugya Russian Vietnamese

Chuukese Ibo (Igbo) Luo Samoan Visayan

Croatian Igbo (Ibo) Macedonian Sarikoli Walloon

Czech Ilocano Mai Mai Serbian Wenzhou (Chinese)

Danish Ilonggo (Ilongot) Malay Serbo-Croatian Wolof (Ouoloff)

Dari Ilongot (Ilonggo) Malayalam Shanghainese Yiddish

Dinka Iltalian Malinke Shona Yoruba

Dioula (Jula, Dyula) Indonesian Mam Sicil ian Yupik

Toishanese