Three months ago, the two hospitals -- Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland and San Francisco General Hospital -- began work on a US$1.5 million initiative known as the Video Medical Interpretation (VMI) Project to link their respective systems in order to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

More than half of the patients at both hospital systems have limited English proficiency, so the health care centers employ in-house interpreters to translate doctors' orders and medication regimens.

Trial videoconference communications between facilities run by the two hospitals, at distances of up to 50 miles, have started in recent weeks, officials said. "The initial findings are encouraging," said Bruce Occena, a project consultant at the Health Access Foundation in Oakland, which is working on the project.

Savings expected

Gloria Orme, a registered nurse and director of operations, primary care, patient advocacy and interpreter services at San Francisco General, estimated that the two hospitals combined save at least US$420,000 annually in personnel costs with the current system.