Our VisionThe foreign-born population in the United States has doubled from 20 million in 1990 to 40 million in 2010. At least one fourth of the nation’s foreign-born population speaks English “not well” or “not at all." Research shows that language barriers are critical roadblocks to quality health care delivery for this growing population with Limited English Proficieny (LEP).
LEP patients arriving at public health institutions often cannot count on multilingual documents, signage, or staff to help them navigate the hospital. Limited English proficiency can also obscure the meaning of applications, notices, and brochures. As a result, families eligible for public insurance and other crucial health resources may not be aware of or know how to access these benefits. Health Bridges is a student-run non-for-profit organization that envisions that one day, individuals—regardless of their language, income level, or immigration status—will have access to quality health care. |
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Our Mission and Model |
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We leverage the language skills of college students by training college volunteers, many of whom are multilingual, to serve as Health Advocates at public hospitals. These Health Advocates work side by side with low-income and/or LEP patients in their native languages to navigate the hospital system and obtain health resources for which they are eligible. In addition to our Health Advocates who serve at hospitals, we have since expanded to incorporate three unique teams with specialized focuses. Each team (Educational Outreach, Community Partnerships, and Resource Management) designs, facilitates, and executes various projects throughout the year -- often in conjunction with our partner organizations. We believe that there is a place for everyone in our organization, and we continually work to foster an environment where our diverse array of skills and experiences can be used to better serve our community. |
