AI Initiative Tackles Language Barriers for Arabic-Speaking Patients in Michigan
DEARBORN, MI, UNITED STATES, September 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Language barriers in health care put patients at risk of misdiagnoses, medication errors and inadequate treatment, with patients who have limited English proficiency facing significantly higher risks of medical complications. A new artificial intelligence initiative launching Sept. 18 in Dearborn aims to solve that problem for the largest Arabic-speaking population in the Western Hemisphere.
Velatura Public Benefit Corporation (Velatura), in partnership with J&B Medical, will unveil the initiative at the Caroline Kennedy Library in Dearborn on Sept. 18. The technology uses the UAE-developed open-source Falcon Large Language Model (LLM) to provide Arabic-English health care interactions for Dearborn's nearly 200,000 Arabic speakers.
A 2024 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly half (48 percent) of adults with limited English proficiency experienced at least one language barrier in health care settings in the past three years. The study showed that 34 percent had trouble filling out forms for health care providers, 33 percent had difficulty communicating with medical office staff, and 30 percent struggled to understand health care provider instructions due to language barriers.
The initiative introduces custom-trained AI models built from the open-source Falcon LLM, specifically designed to provide Arabic-English health care interactions. Plans include expansion to other Arabic-speaking populations in the Western Hemisphere and Middle Eastern markets.
The company's products, including the Arabic edition of Consent Manager+™ and the Velatura Intellibot™ operating system, represent a new category of multilingual Arabic-English AI products designed for health care applications. These solutions go beyond traditional translation, incorporating Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback to deliver culturally authentic interactions for Arabic-speaking communities.
"This technology creates authentic Arabic-speaking user experiences that preserve cultural context and medical accuracy,” said Dr. Tim Pletcher, DHA, Chief Executive Officer of Velatura. "By fine-tuning Falcon's capabilities through our custom-trained models, we're changing how Arabic-speaking communities interact with their health care providers while establishing Michigan as a hub for health AI innovation."
J&B Medical, a Wixom-based market leader in health care focused on enhancing quality of life and improving clinical outcomes, brings extensive expertise in health care delivery and community engagement as co-host of the Sept. 18 launch event.
“This initiative demonstrates how innovation can transcend borders and cultures to create solutions that truly serve people,” said Stephen Shaya, M.D., Executive Servant Leader of J&B Medical. “By helping bring Falcon’s bilingual healthcare AI to life here in Michigan, we are not only advancing technology, we are advancing equity and compassion in care for communities across the world.”
While Falcon excels in multiple languages, particularly Arabic, it has seen limited real-world application in the United States. Velatura's approach bridges this gap, with plans to deliver benefits to citizens and residents in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait through VelaturaAI apps.
Prashant Natarajan, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of Velatura, explained the technology's broader significance: "Our custom-trained models, fine-tuned from the open-source Falcon LLM, create a new standard for bilingual health care AI. This isn't just about better translation, it's about building AI-first solutions that truly serve people, establishing a sustainable innovation ecosystem right here in Michigan."
The Sept. 18 event will include demonstrations of:
• Real-time demonstrations of the bilingual Arabic-English AI products fine-tuned from the open-source Falcon LLM
• An interactive showcase of the Velatura Intellibot technology
• Open-source AI solutions for health sciences
Speakers at the event will include Dr. Tim Pletcher, Chief Executive Officer of Velatura; Prashant Natarajan, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of Velatura; Stephen Shaya, M.D., Executive Servant Leader of J&B Medical; and community leaders from Dearborn's Arab-American community.
For more information about Velatura’s Arabic-English AI initiative, visit velatura.org/falcon.
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About J&B Medical
J&B Medical is a market leader in health care focused on enhancing quality of life, improving clinical outcomes and reducing health care costs for consumers and businesses. Services include insurance-covered and emergency medical supplies, retail at home, veterinary products and medical technology solutions. J&B Medical is a nationally certified Women's Business Enterprise. For more information, visit JandBMedical.com.
References
About Velatura Public Benefit Corporation
Velatura Public Benefit Corporation is the country's premier interoperability platform provider and operator of the largest network of multijurisdictional health information exchanges and Trusted Data Sharing Organizations. By enabling secure and efficient exchange of critical electronic health information, Velatura helps health care organizations streamline workflows, improve care coordination and enhance patient care. For additional information, visit www.veltura.org.
Gonzalez-Barrera A, Hamel L, Artiga S, Presiado M. Language Barriers in Health Care: Findings from the KFF Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health. Kaiser Family Foundation. May 16, 2024.
Velatura Public Benefit Corporation (Velatura), in partnership with J&B Medical, will unveil the initiative at the Caroline Kennedy Library in Dearborn on Sept. 18. The technology uses the UAE-developed open-source Falcon Large Language Model (LLM) to provide Arabic-English health care interactions for Dearborn's nearly 200,000 Arabic speakers.
A 2024 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly half (48 percent) of adults with limited English proficiency experienced at least one language barrier in health care settings in the past three years. The study showed that 34 percent had trouble filling out forms for health care providers, 33 percent had difficulty communicating with medical office staff, and 30 percent struggled to understand health care provider instructions due to language barriers.
The initiative introduces custom-trained AI models built from the open-source Falcon LLM, specifically designed to provide Arabic-English health care interactions. Plans include expansion to other Arabic-speaking populations in the Western Hemisphere and Middle Eastern markets.
The company's products, including the Arabic edition of Consent Manager+™ and the Velatura Intellibot™ operating system, represent a new category of multilingual Arabic-English AI products designed for health care applications. These solutions go beyond traditional translation, incorporating Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback to deliver culturally authentic interactions for Arabic-speaking communities.
"This technology creates authentic Arabic-speaking user experiences that preserve cultural context and medical accuracy,” said Dr. Tim Pletcher, DHA, Chief Executive Officer of Velatura. "By fine-tuning Falcon's capabilities through our custom-trained models, we're changing how Arabic-speaking communities interact with their health care providers while establishing Michigan as a hub for health AI innovation."
J&B Medical, a Wixom-based market leader in health care focused on enhancing quality of life and improving clinical outcomes, brings extensive expertise in health care delivery and community engagement as co-host of the Sept. 18 launch event.
“This initiative demonstrates how innovation can transcend borders and cultures to create solutions that truly serve people,” said Stephen Shaya, M.D., Executive Servant Leader of J&B Medical. “By helping bring Falcon’s bilingual healthcare AI to life here in Michigan, we are not only advancing technology, we are advancing equity and compassion in care for communities across the world.”
While Falcon excels in multiple languages, particularly Arabic, it has seen limited real-world application in the United States. Velatura's approach bridges this gap, with plans to deliver benefits to citizens and residents in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait through VelaturaAI apps.
Prashant Natarajan, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of Velatura, explained the technology's broader significance: "Our custom-trained models, fine-tuned from the open-source Falcon LLM, create a new standard for bilingual health care AI. This isn't just about better translation, it's about building AI-first solutions that truly serve people, establishing a sustainable innovation ecosystem right here in Michigan."
The Sept. 18 event will include demonstrations of:
• Real-time demonstrations of the bilingual Arabic-English AI products fine-tuned from the open-source Falcon LLM
• An interactive showcase of the Velatura Intellibot technology
• Open-source AI solutions for health sciences
Speakers at the event will include Dr. Tim Pletcher, Chief Executive Officer of Velatura; Prashant Natarajan, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of Velatura; Stephen Shaya, M.D., Executive Servant Leader of J&B Medical; and community leaders from Dearborn's Arab-American community.
For more information about Velatura’s Arabic-English AI initiative, visit velatura.org/falcon.
###
About J&B Medical
J&B Medical is a market leader in health care focused on enhancing quality of life, improving clinical outcomes and reducing health care costs for consumers and businesses. Services include insurance-covered and emergency medical supplies, retail at home, veterinary products and medical technology solutions. J&B Medical is a nationally certified Women's Business Enterprise. For more information, visit JandBMedical.com.
References
About Velatura Public Benefit Corporation
Velatura Public Benefit Corporation is the country's premier interoperability platform provider and operator of the largest network of multijurisdictional health information exchanges and Trusted Data Sharing Organizations. By enabling secure and efficient exchange of critical electronic health information, Velatura helps health care organizations streamline workflows, improve care coordination and enhance patient care. For additional information, visit www.veltura.org.
Gonzalez-Barrera A, Hamel L, Artiga S, Presiado M. Language Barriers in Health Care: Findings from the KFF Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health. Kaiser Family Foundation. May 16, 2024.
Elizabeth Randolph
Ozline LLC
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