Ensuring language access is a cornerstone of equitable, high-quality health care. The following resources are designed to help health care providers and coordinated care organizations (CCOs) understand requirements related to language access and improve performance related to the Meaningful Language Access (Health Equity) incentive measure.
Technical assistance resources
Language access workbook for providers
Increasing Language Access in Oregon: A Workbook for Providers is designed to help health care organizations and providers understand Oregon's language access requirements and take practical steps to ensure patients receive care they understand. It highlights strategies to:
- Meet federal and state standards,
- Improve performance on the Meaningful Language Access (Health Equity) measure, and
- Strengthen trust and communication with patients who prefer a language other than English or who use sign language.
This workbook was developed by NORC at the University of Chicago in collaboration with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). It was launched during a one-hour webinar. If you missed it, you can view the recording or slide deck (coming soon).
Provider workbook learning modules
OHA pre-recorded learning modules for each chapter of the provider workbook above.
- Chapter 1: Increasing Organizational Capacity for Language Services
- Chapter 2: Defining Credentialed Interpreters
- Chapter 3: Steps and Best Practices for Providing Interpreter Services
- Chapter 4: What is the Oregon Health Care Interpreter Central Registry?
- Chapter 5: Meaningful Language Access Measure
- Appendix: A Practical Workflow for Providers
Upcoming webinars
OHA Health Care Interpreter Program rule changes and resources
Join the Oregon Health Care Interpreter Program for a one-hour webinar to learn about program rule changes and available resources, along with a panel discussion featuring health care providers and health care interpreters from the OHA health care interpreter central registry.
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January 15, 2026
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7:30–8:30 a.m. PT
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Register here for the Zoom meeting
- Audience: Health care providers
- Hosted by: OHA Health Care Interpreter Program
Contact: Edna Nyamu, Program Manager,
edna.nyamu@oha.oregon.gov, or David Simnitt, DS Consulting,
dsimnitt.dsc@gmail.com
Resources
Archived materials: 2024 needs assessment
In January 2024, the Transformation Center and Equity and Inclusion Division held needs assessment calls with CCOs about the meaningful language access metric to help design future technical assistance.
In summer 2024, staff interviewed Oregon clinics to better understand providers’ needs for technical assistance to improve language access.
Contact
Transformation.Center@odhsoha.oregon.govMetrics.Questions@odhsoha.oregon.gov