Helping LEP communities speak health for themselves

About iSpeakHealth

iSpeakHealth is an initiative committed to advancing health equity for individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), with a special focus on migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. We believe that language access is a fundamental right — and that everyone, regardless of their linguistic background, should be able to understand and participate in decisions about their health.

We are building partnerships and developing innovative, multilingual programming to better serve newcomers and underrepresented populations. If you are passionate about health justice and inclusion, we invite you to join us in creating a healthcare landscape where every voice can be heard — and every person can speak health.

About the Founder

Emilie Maxie, DNP, RN, CCRN

emilie@ispeakhealth.us

Emilie is the founder of iSpeakHealth, an advocacy initiative rooted in her lifelong commitment to equity, inclusion, and compassionate care. As a nurse, educator, and health policy advocate, she has seen firsthand how language barriers can prevent individuals and families—especially immigrants, migrants, and refugees—from accessing the care they need and deserve.

As an immigrant and the child of immigrants, Emilie deeply understands how overwhelming and isolating it can feel to navigate life in a new country—especially when language stands in the way. This lived experience fuels her passion for language justice and culturally responsive education.

iSpeakHealth was founded in 2015 to help local migrants in Colorado with English lessons tailored to health education and nutrition. What began as a grassroots effort to meet immediate community needs has grown into a broader mission to promote health equity for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) populations across the country.

Emilie has spent years working directly with underserved populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness, and understands the deep systemic challenges that vulnerable communities face in navigating healthcare. Her passion for community health and culturally responsive communication drives the organization’s mission: to lessen language barrier to health, safety, and dignity. She brings both professional expertise and personal conviction to building a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system.