Multilingual Cancer Patient Education

46 percent (21.1 million) of all 45.9 million US residents born outside of the country spoke English less than “very well.”

Many hospitals lack bilingual staff and qualified interpreters—despite federal law (1964 Civil Rights Act & subsequent orders and laws) mandating such services.

For many immigrants, not speaking English well means not getting care.  A research paper published in 2024 simulated patients speaking – English, Spanish, or Mandarin –  inquired about a new clinic appointment for colon, lung, or thyroid cancer care.  Only 36.4% of Spanish-speaking and 19.0% of Mandarin-speaking callers successfully got information on next steps to access cancer care via phone calls. Over 50% of calls ended due to language barriers.

Hear2Care was found in 2023 with the mission of empowering immigrant patients and caregivers with information that we can hear and understand. 

This fundraising is to support the production and distribution of culturally and linguistically appropriate materials to help patients with limited English proficiency navigate cancer screenings, treatment, and preventive care.