INTRODUCTION: Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) face communication barriers linked to poorer outcomes. Language-concordant care improves outcomes, yet most health systems lack processes to identify, certify, or support providers’ non-English-language skills despite federal protections. This quality improvement pilot assessed language proficiency among obstetrics and gynecology providers and explored strategies to expand access to language-concordant care. METHODS: We conducted a web-based survey (July to August 2025) of clinical providers in the University of Michigan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Providers reported non-English proficiency using the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Healthcare Scale and were categorized as native/advanced or English-only. The survey assessed certification, clinical use of language, barriers to certification, and perceived strategies to enhance language-concordant care. Data were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: Of 204 eligible providers, 173 (85%) responded; 19 (11%) reported native or advanced proficiency in nine languages, most commonly Spanish (47%). All providers frequently cared for LEP patients, yet 47% of proficient speakers rarely used their language clinically. When matched, 94% reported high satisfaction, although most encounters occurred by chance. Nearly all respondents (96%) supported language-concordant provider matching via the website (94%), portal filters (93%), and call center prompts (94%). Among proficient speakers, only one had completed formal certification testing. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: A clear gap exists between provider language skills and their systematic use in clinical care. Few proficient clinicians were certified, and although providers reported high satisfaction with language-concordant encounters, most occurred by chance. Next steps should evaluate patient satisfaction and outcomes, and test structured approaches to delivering language-concordant care.
Datwani et al. (Thu,) studied this question.