Global Leaders to Address Language Access at the 6th Annual National Medical Interpreter Certification Open Forum in Tulsa, Oklahoma
National and International Representatives to collaborate on improving language access and patient safety
TULSA, Okla., March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Leaders, advocates and other stakeholders in the medical interpreting industry will travel across the globe to convene on Monday, April 30, 2012, in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the 6th Annual National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum. The event, which is a no-fee forum open to all hospitals, government agencies, interpreters and other stakeholders, will include guest speakers and discussions that address the advancement of national certification, best practices in the profession and perspectives from industry leaders. Attendees will share advocacy updates, status of educational programs and new opportunities for involvement in shaping the future of medical interpreting.
“This annual event has raised the level of awareness to this issue considerably. However, we must continue to expand our efforts so that every stakeholder in healthcare understands how important error-free communication is to avoid negative health outcomes to a vulnerable population,” said Izabel Arocha, Executive Director of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA). “This forum spotlights the importance and need for all healthcare institutions to adopt national certification and other best practices quickly so medical professionals and institutions are not held liable.”
Medical interpreters raised the previous testing standard in the field by developing exams that are scientifically validated by psychometricians, and therefore are legally defensible. Available today in Spanish, The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (National Board) is completing the work to expand the oral exam this year into Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
“Expanding to six languages and applying for NCCA Accreditation has been the focus of the National Board. We will continue to work day and night so all interpreters can be tested and so all patients and providers can be assured of competency for accurate communication in vital health encounters,” said Rita Weil, Chair of the National Board.
Key speaker Louis F. Provenzano, Jr., President and CEO of Monterey, California-based Language Line Services, launched the National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum in 2007 when his organization invited national leaders in the field of medical interpreting to join forces and work toward national certification. The annual forum is now an industry staple, with more than a hundred stakeholders attending the event every year.
“As the largest provider of medical interpreters and language access services to health care providers, Language Line Services recognizes the responsibility of organizations such as ours to provide the support for hospitals and collaborative opportunity for the field as a vital process of the mission for elevating effective communication in patient-centered care, an initiative at the top of this year’s national agenda,” Provenzano said. “Our continued efforts are a reflection of our genuine commitment to this mission.”
The annual event creates an inclusive, transparent and collaborative process that crosses state lines and industry sectors. It brings together representatives of various state and national interpreter associations, interpreters and interpretation service providers, advocates and policy makers, state officials, educators, trainers, hospitals and healthcare organizations, as well as international stakeholders who are watching the U.S. medical interpreter profession’s progress toward national certification as the new qualifying standard for medical interpreters.
This year’s forum will take place at the Mayo Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the heart of downtown Tulsa. Among invited and confirmed speakers are Guadalupe Pacheco Senior Health Advisor, Office of Minority Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (confirmed keynote speaker), the Governor of Oklahoma, and representatives of The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, International Medical Interpreters Association, Oregon’s Office of Multicultural Health, The Joint Commission, Choctaw Nation, Language Line® University, Dallas Children’s Hospital, CCHI, U.S. Department of Health, Washington State Unite, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston, international delegates and others.
According to IMIA State Representative for Oklahoma, Tina Pena, “we are working arduously in Oklahoma to professionalize the work of medical interpreters in our state. Only one hospital in the state of Oklahoma currently employs a full-time medical interpreter, so we really have our work cut out for us. An event like this is critical to raise awareness and move things forward against a strong headwind of anti-immigrant and mono-lingual legislative proposals.”
The event will be preceded on Sunday, April 29, 2012, by meetings of the Global Advisory Council, IMIA Medical Terminology Boot Camps as well as a press conference to be held at the Press Club meeting room in the Marriott Hotel at 415 S. Boston Ave, Tulsa, OK 74103. The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters will also hold its annual Board convening on May 1st, the day after the Open Forum.
For more information about the 6th Annual National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum, please email may1st_nmic_forum@yahoo.com.
About the Annual National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum
The National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum is an annual event that brings together industry leaders and stakeholders, large and small, private and public, working together to collaborate with a specific focus on the topic of National Medical Interpreter Certification. The purpose of this initiative is to improve and support standardization of the quality of language services in our nation’s health care institutions and to give every organization and individual a voice and opportunity to participate in an inclusive and transparent environment.
This multi-stakeholder event was initiated by Language Line Services in 2007 and is now organized by interpreters and the following organizations: Language Line® University, International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA), PSI Testing & Credentialing, Cardinal Point – Government Relations, Nebraska Association for Translators & Interpreters (NATI), Connecticut Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Nevada Interpreters & Translators Association (NITA), Burg Translation, Language People, Tennessee Association of Medical Interpreters and Translators (TAMIT), Tulsa Community College (TCC), the Epilepsy Foundation, Relay Oklahoma, and more.
At Language Line Services, as we approach our 30 years of founding this magnificent industry of telephonic interpretation in over 170 languages, we are honored to have had our “employed” interpreters service the world’s most prestigious healthcare facilities as well as the 911 first emergency respondents around most major English speaking cities on the globe.
We believe in training our interpreters. We believe in making sure the global excellence of a “Language Line Services” interpreter and the support staff that supports our team , ensure that we offer the best to the industry —and this will always remain our Corporate Mantra. We firmly believe that as technologies and medical advances are made, the only way to ensure global excellence is to train for today’s events and prepare by training for tomorrow’s events.
We are proud to have introduced our testing methodologies and testing standards to the industry to enable our clients and their respective organizations to ensure that they maintain the highest level of standards for patient safety. This insurance policy is what our clients demand and now need to meet these new Joint Commission standards. The Language Line University testing assessments are the “Platinum Standard” for Medical Interpretation bar none. This is one of the reasons IMIA (International Medical Interpreters Organization, the world’s oldest and most prestigious associations www.imiaweb.org partnered with Language Line University www.languageline.com/llu to offer the Nation’s first and credible National Certification for Medical Interpreters in Six Languages.
As the new Joint Commission Standards come into effect, hospitals, health care plans and other medical related agencies are asking Language Line Services to help out with these new language standards. As part of their respective Joint Commission Surveys, our clients are asking to see all of our training records and future training plans so we can assist them to ensure compliance. The risks to a hospital or major healthcare plans could never be greater. To not get accreditation because of failing to comply to these new standards will cost millions in lost funding from Federal Sources.
It is imperative to get this right. Hospitals as we have seen are trying to catch up and ensure they are in compliant. They are asking for support, training documentation and records to assist with their compliance teams to make sure they get good grades on these new standards which clearly stress “quality” and “training” of interpreters that support the facilities.
Firms that are using providers that can not train their interpreters are going to have difficulties in meeting the new Joint Commission language standards. How will you get training records from these providers since they can not legally train their independent contractor workforce?
If these providers say they train their contractors (which they do in tenders and formal proposals to win business) then the IRS will be interested to hear this as they do not pay Federal taxes. If they say they do not train and only rely on an independent contractor workforces that can not be tested, scheduled, trained or monitored, then the new Joint Commission standards will not be met. Training records from these organizations will not be available.
I have written a great deal about this topic. Now the stakes are greater than ever before. To ensure compliance you must use a reputable, credible, proven firm that can document fully their training programs. We believe Language Line Service is the only one that can do this.
If we want reimbursement from Medicare ( and we are so close) for Medical Interpretation, then we must have credentialed and trained interpreters. We believe that reimbursement for interpretation for trained and medical credentialed interpreters is the only way to ensure patient safety.
At Language Line Services we can show you training records, testing scores, career pathways and curriculum training from our subsidiary, Language Line University to ensure world-class quality. As we move into a “reimbursement” model for Medical Interpretation, the Language Line Services interpreter family will not only be medically certified by Language Line University, but over time, of the new certification efforts offered by the National Board for Certification of Medical Interpreters. (visit the National Board —> www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org )
We will be giving web casts on this issue shortly but I wanted to share with you the terrific work that the Language Line Services team and the Language Line University Academian are doing to prepare the Nation for these new language standards for the Joint Commission new language standards.
As we have previously announced, any of our valuable customers as well as our prospects may request speakers from the Language Line Services Center of Excellence to assist with this critical requirement. To request a Language Line Services and Language Line University subject matter expert or Professional Academian speaker please visit here
We look forward to assisting you with these Joint Commission Surveys for the new Language Standards.
The Joint Commission’s new and revised requirements to advance effective communication, cultural competence and patient-centered care became effective January 1, 2011 with accreditation decisions to be made in January 2012. As part of these requirements, hospitals will be expected to meet several elements of performance related to improving the communication between
providers and their diverse patient populations and to carefully review its current processes and procedures and make the
necessary adjustment to ensure compliance.
We invite you to spend an hour with, Marty Conroy, a former New York State healthcare regulator who will:
Speak about the key areas regulators look at when conducting a
compliance audit
Share key tools, resources and solutions you need, to be in
compliance
Share best practices
Conduct a Q&A to address any concerns related to the topic
Date: Tuesday 7/19/2011
Time: 10:00 am Pacific / 11:00 am Mountain / 12:00 pm Central / 1:00pm Eastern
Topic: Regulatory Readiness – Ensuring Compliance with Regulatory Requirements for Effective Communication
Speaker:Martin Conroy, former Regulator and Director of the Division of Acute and Primary Care Services at the New York State Department of Health, with 37 years of public service responsible for the regulatory oversight of hospitals and clinics, including language access
Hosted by Language Line Services, Language Access Center for Excellence – contact janders@languageline.comif you would like to request a speaker for your organization.
5th ANNUAL NATIONAL MEDICAL INTERPRETER CERTIFICATION FORUM
Redondo Beach, CA
April 30 – May 1, 2011
* National and state industry leaders share perspectives
* International speakers share what hospitals and interpreters are doing
* An engaging, collaborative environment
* Updates on National Certification for Medical Interpreters
* Lobbying and advocacy updates
* What’s next and opportunities for involvement
* Educational programs and CEUs
* Open forum with no attendee fees
April 30 – National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum – Open to All
May 1 – National Board & Global Advisory Council Meetings
Venue: Portofino Hotel, Redondo
Beach, CA (www.hotelportofino.com)
Past Attendees include:
Hospitals and Healthcare Systems * interpreters (spoken and sign language) * state representatives * interpreter associations * trainers * raters * educators * language service providers * advocates * policy makers * cultural experts * government representatives * and other stakeholders
Past Attendees Represent:
States across the US * United Kingdom *Japan * Canada * Australia * Taiwan * China
Past Speakers Include:
The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters *PSI, Testing & Accreditation * Eric Hardt, MD * Cardinal Point Gov. Relations * Language Line Services * International Medical Interpreters Association * Office of Language Testing and Certification, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services* Oregon’s Office of Multicultural Health * Lidget Green, Inc. Psychometricians * Office of Minority Health OSDH, OK * Centrelink, Australia * Massachusetts Department of Public Health * New York State Dept. of Health * International delegates, and many others
Louis Provenzano Jr. wasn’t familiar with Language Line Services when he was recruited to the Monterey company seven years ago, but he knew right away it would be a good fit.
The company’s main business, interpretation services, “was near and dear to my heart,” said Provenzano, who became the company’s CEO last month.
Provenzano, 51, took an early interest in languages while growing up in New York and earned degrees in romance languages and business law at Boston College. He speaks six languages.
Provenzano, who came to Language Line to head sales efforts, moves up from chief operating officer and president of the 29-year-old company. Dennis Dracup, CEO since 1999, will remain an active board member and significant equity holder.
The change means more responsibility, Provenzano said with a smile during an interview at his office in Ryan Ranch. Language Line, with $300million in annual sales, is more than 10 times larger than its nearest competitor in over-the-phone interpretation, he said.
The company has been growing steadily, and Provenzano expects growth to continue.
“Every 19 seconds, a legal immigrant comes into the country,” he said, citing U.S. Census figures from 2006-07. As more people come to the U.S. who are not fluent in English, there is a growing demand for interpretation.
Hospitals are required to provide such services, though they don’t get reimbursed. If they cut corners, they can be held liable if mistakes are made because of confusion over language.
“Every week there’s all these patient-safety issues,” said Provenzano.
It’s not just hospitals and government agencies, such as courts, that are seeing a growing need for interpretation, Provenzano said — it’s businesses, too.
Provenzano said doing business with somebody in their own language makes sales more likely.
“Big business has realized this,” he said.
The vast majority of Language Line’s work is over-the-phone interpretation; 70 percent of it involves Spanish. The company has call centers in Panama, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, London and Monterey.
Of the company’s 5,000 interpreters, 60 percent work from home on set shifts — they can’t be wandering around the house when the phone rings.
Of the 176 languages the company has interpreters for, the top 20 account for 95 percent of the business, Provenzano said.
Language Line, which is owned primarily by Abry Partners, an equity firm, was owned by AT&T for 10 years, ending in 1999. The AT&T connection helped the company’s technological capabilities, said Dale Hansman, who does web marketing and public relations for the company.
The company has continued to embrace new technology, Provenzano said.
“We’re constantly reinventing our product,” he said, including a teleconferencing system for sign language.
Last year, the company took a leading role in setting up national standards for medical interpreters. Medical interpreting accounts for 30 percent of the company’s business and requires an experienced person on the phone.
“We only hire one of 12 applicants,” Provenzano said. There are people who are fluent in two languages who aren’t hired because they don’t have the ability to go back and forth quickly, he said.
Much of the interpretation is about serious matters. There are 911 calls, medical emergencies — Language Line interpretation is needed in the birth of about 11 babies a day — and court hearings.
But there are lighter moments, as well. Provenzano chuckles when he tells of a client on the East Coast who complained that Language Line didn’t offer British interpretation.
The company’s answer: “They speak English over there.”
My post on Huffington Post can be found by clicking here:
Text is also found below:
The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters announced today that the State of Oregon has become the first state in the nation to officially adopt and endorse the Certification for Medical Interpreters (CMI) through the National Board.
Patients in the United States with limited English proficiency (LEP) continue to face language barriers that threaten their health and undermine their well-being. This first of its kind national interpreting standard provides professional interpreters working in the medical field with the opportunity to be tested and credentialed as certified interpreters.
The Oregon Office of Multicultural Health & Services also has awarded a grant to the National Board for the development of oral certification exams in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian. CMI launched the first national certification exam for Spanish in October 2009.
“By embracing the National Board’s standards and supporting its expansion for five additional languages, Oregon is saving considerable time and resources to achieve our goal of ensuring the safety of LEP patients,” said David Cardona, MD, MPH, Healthcare Interpreter Program Coordinator for the Oregon Office of Multicultural Health & Services. “Oregon is ready to bring the benefits of medical interpreter certification to our state, where the LEP population has nearly tripled since 1990.”
Hopefully, this will be the first of many states to make this monumental change that recognizes and solidifies the vision and work of many individuals, organizations and supporters.
This accomplishment could never have been achieved without the vision, passion and support of the International Medical Interpreter Association (IMIA) who have worked tirelessly in support of the National Board to achieve this major milestone and historical first. Language Line Services is proud to be not just a part of this industry-evolving-event, but a catalyst and change-agent throughout this entire process.
Louis Provenzano is President and Chief Operating Officer of Language Line Services, the world’s leading provider of language-based services.
Oregon Awards Grant to National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters for Test Expansion in Five Additional Languages
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, which launched the first national certification exam in Spanish in October 2009 and bestows the Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) designation, has been awarded a grant effective December 21, 2010 by the Oregon Office of Multicultural Health & Services for the development of oral certification exams in five additional languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian. The State of Oregon currently recognizes the independent board’s testing and credentialing in Spanish as meeting the requirements for certification of Oregon interpreters and will extend approval to the CMI credentialing in the additional languages upon implementation of the new oral exams.
“Oregon has long been a trailblazer in the area of language access for limited English speaking patients, being one of just a handful of states that have any formalized standards for medical interpreter certification,” said Nelva Lee, PhD, Chair of the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters. “The state’s adoption of the certification exams and credentialing process established by the National Board is an important validation of our historic initiative to bring a national standard to the profession. It is my hope that other states will follow Oregon‘s lead and adopt the CMI designation as a requirement for medical interpreters.”
In 2001, the 71st Oregon Legislative Assembly passed Senate Bill 790, which called for the provision of healthcare interpreters for persons with limited English proficiency (LEP). Oregon‘s Health Care Interpreter Council was then charged with developing and implementing the administrative rules that would govern the registry, qualification and certification of interpreters for six languages.
“By embracing the National Board’s standards and supporting its expansion for five additional languages, Oregon is saving considerable time and resources to achieve our goal of ensuring the safety of LEP patients,” said David Cardona, MD, MPH, Healthcare Interpreter Program Coordinator for the Oregon Office of Multicultural Health & Services. “Oregon is ready to bring the benefits of medical interpreter certification to our state, where the LEP population has nearly tripled since 1990.”
Over the next six months, the National Board will develop oral certification exams for the five additional languages in accordance with the same strict standards and scientific process used to design the Spanish certification test. Interpreters interested in participating in pilot testing of the five oral exams can pre-register at staff@certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org.
“The launch of national certification for medical interpreters is a significant achievement, one that all state governments and the U.S. healthcare industry as a whole should applaud,” said Jeanette Poston, a Staff Interpreter at the Jackson County Courthouse for the Oregon Judicial Department. “I personally look forward to sitting for the Spanish exam and becoming a certified medical interpreter.”
ABOUT THE NATIONAL BOARD OF CERTIFICATION FOR MEDICAL INTERPRETERS
The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters is a non-profit organization, formed from an independent group of industry professionals who represent all key stakeholder groups, including professional medical interpreters, trainers, employers, providers, and regulators. The National Board developed the first and most comprehensive national medical interpreting certification program to date. It serves as the certifying entity and has independent authority over all essential certification decisions. The purpose of certification is to ensure limited English proficiency patient safety by rigorous evaluation and assurance of the competency of medical interpreters, through written and oral exams. Those who pass the written and oral exams are bestowed the CMI credential which stands for Certified Medical Interpreter. The formation and structure of the National Board of Certification adheres to the standards and requirements for certification program governance. For more information, visit http://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org
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