SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The Medical Leadership Council on Cultural Proficiency unveiled a database Friday to help California doctors find cultural and language services.
The database, which already includes 350 entries, offers free, Internet-based access to contact information for interpreters, non-profit organizations, hospitals, public health departments and other groups that provide health information and services in languages other than English.
Users can search the database by county, language or type of service.
"This database is a significant step toward providing better healthcare for the millions of people in California who speak primary languages other than English and who need interpreters and culturally appropriate health education materials as part of their primary health care," said Robert K. Ross, president and chief executive officer of The California Endowment, which funded creation of the database.
Forty percent of the state's 34 million residents speak a language other than English at home. About one in four Californians' primary language is Spanish.
