To ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state Federal civil rights laws.
VORI HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP, PLLC, a Tennessee professional limited liability company and its affiliated professional entities (collectively, “VHMG”), will take appropriate steps to ensure that persons with disabilities, including persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or blind, or who have other sensory or manual impairments, have an equal opportunity to participate in our services, activities, programs and other benefits. The procedures outlined below are intended to ensure effective communication with patients/clients involving their medical conditions, treatment, services and benefits. The procedures also apply to, among other types of communication, communication of information contained in important documents, including waivers of rights, consent to treatment forms, financial and insurance benefits forms, etc. All necessary auxiliary aids and services shall be provided without cost to the person being served.
All VHMG staff will be provided on-line notice of this policy and procedure, and staff that may have direct contact with individuals with disabilities will be trained in effective communication techniques, including the effective use of interpreters.
1. Identification and assessment of need:
VHMG provides notice of the availability of and procedure for requesting auxiliary aids and services through notices on our web-based and app-based platforms.When an individual selfidentifies as a person with a disability that affects the ability to communicate or to access or manipulate written materials or requests an auxiliary aid or service, staff will consult with the individual to determine what aids or services are necessary to provide effective communication in particular situations.
2. Provision of Auxiliary Aids and Services:
VHMG shall provide the following services or aids to achieve effective communication with persons with disabilities:
A. For Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
(i) For persons who are deaf/hard of hearing and who use sign language as their primary means of communication, hello@vorihealth.com or customer support 1-866-719-9611 is responsible for providing effective interpretation or arranging for a qualified sign language interpreter when needed.
In the event that an interpreter is needed, hello@vorihealth.com or customer support will contact the Vori Health Operations Team at serviceops@vorihealth.com. The Vori Health Operations Team is responsible for:
Maintaining a list of qualified interpreters on staff showing their names, phone numbers, qualifications and hours of availability;
Contacting the appropriate interpreter on staff to interpret, if one is available and qualified to interpret; or
Obtaining an outside interpreter if a qualified interpreter on staff is not available. Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. has agreed to provide qualified interpreter services. The agency’s telephone number is 1-866-267-0437 and the hours of availability are 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
(ii) Communicating by Telephone with Persons Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
VHMG utilizes relay services for external telephone with TTY users. We accept and make calls through a relay service. The Mississippi state relay service number is 711 or 800-582-2233 TTY/voice).
(iii) For the following auxiliary aids and services, staff will contact Vori Health Operations Team at serviceops@vorihealth.com, who is responsible to provide the aids and services in a timely manner:
For in-person care: on-line chat, white boards, written copies of oral announcements; or other effective methods that help make aurally delivered materials available to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
(iv) Some persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may prefer or request to use a family member or friend as an interpreter. However, family members or friends of the person will not be used as interpreters unless specifically requested by that individual and after an offer of an interpreter at no charge to the person has been made by the facility. Such an offer and the response will be documented in the person’s file. If the person chooses to use a family member or friend as an interpreter, issues of competency of interpretation, confidentiality, privacy and conflict of interest will be considered. If the family member or friend is not competent or appropriate for any of these reasons, competent interpreter services will be provided.
NOTE: Children and other residents will not be used to interpret, in order to ensure confidentiality of information and accurate communication.
B. For Persons Who are Blind or Who Have Low Vision
(i) Staff will communicate information contained in written materials concerning treatment, benefits, services, waivers of rights, and consent to treatment forms by reading out loud and explaining these forms to persons who are blind or who have low vision.
The following types of large print materials are available: Vori Health Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. These materials may be obtained by calling the Vori Health Operations Team at serviceops@vorihealth.com or customer support 1-866-719-9611.
(ii) For the following auxiliary aids and services, staff will contact the Vori Health Operations Team at serviceops@vorihealth.com, who is responsible to provide the aids and services in a timely manner:
Qualified readers; reformatting into large print; taping or recording of print materials not available in alternate format; or other effective methods that help make visually delivered materials available to individuals who are blind or who have low vision. In addition, staff are available to assist persons who are blind or who have low vision in filling out forms and in otherwise providing information in a written format.
C. For Persons With Speech Impairments
To ensure effective communication with persons with speech impairments, staff will contact the Vori Health Operations Team at serviceops@vorihealth.com, who is responsible to provide the aids and services in a timely manner:
For in person care for following types of materials are available to ensure effective communication with persons with speech impairments: writing materials, white boards, on-line chat/messaging.
D. For Persons With Manual Impairments
Staff will assist those who have difficulty in manipulating print materials by holding the materials and turning pages as needed.
For auxiliary aids and services, staff will contact the Vori Health Operations Team at serviceops@vorihealth.com who is responsible to provide the aids and services in a timely manner.
Approved by: Mary I. O’Connor, MD, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Medical Officer
