Medical Interpreter Community Speaks Out On Need for National Certification

Industry Survey and Inaugural Forum Confirm Overwhelming Support for National Medical Interpreter Certification as Means to Improve the Quality of Health Care Delivery to Limited English Proficient Patients

Monterey, California — (October 10, 2007) —  Patient advocates, medical interpreter associations and language service providers are joining forces in a call for a national medical interpreter certification program, in order to help eliminate linguistic and cultural barriers to quality health care for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). In a recently completed online, needs assessment survey of 766 industry stakeholders, half of whom were medical interpreters, 80 percent agreed that the country is ready for national medical interpreter certification, while 91 percent agreed that medical interpreter certification should be a national effort.

In addition to demonstrating the strong support for a national medical interpreter certification, the online survey conducted March through June 2007, also revealed the complexity of the issue and why an industry-wide consensus is needed.

“There are many factors that will determine the composition of a national medical interpreter certification program, including skills and industry knowledge covered, testing eligibility requirements, the form and frequency of testing administration, and cost, among others,” explains Louis Provenzano, President and COO of Language Line Services, the company that sponsored the survey.

While a majority of survey respondents largely agreed on the range of skills that should be tested, there was much more diversity in response to the level of skill that should qualify for certification and the amount of continuing education needed annually to maintain certification.

“The survey demonstrates that we need to move forward collaboratively on a national medical interpreter certification initiative and that it is important to solicit the insight and perspective of the entire interpreter community, as well as other stakeholders such as the medical provider community, in order to make this process one that we can all embrace,” Provenzano said.

Meanwhile, the overwhelming support for a national medical interpreter certification program was mirrored at an inaugural meeting of more than 70 industry thought leaders and participants brought together to share their significant expertise and experiences in the development of medical certification.

Held on May 1, 2007, in Boston, Massachusetts, the forum was a consolidated effort across state lines and industry sectors, representing stakeholders, large and small, private and public. Attendees were provided the opportunity to voice an opinion on the need for national certification in a country with growing language diversity, where approximately 60 million people speak a language other than English at home.

“Our primary objective for creating a national certification process for medical interpreters is to ensure that everyone who walks through the doors of a U.S. hospital can feel confident that they will be understood, and that they will receive the care they need, regardless of their native language,” said Linda Joyce, Language Access Consultant.  “A national collaborative effort is the only way to make this goal a reality. It will also help raise awareness of the important role played by medical interpreters in health care delivery.”

About National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum
In its conceptual phase, the National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum is an emerging group of 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. For more information about the National Medical Interpreter Certification Forum or a summary of the certification survey findings, visit www.nmictf.org .

About Language Line Services
Language Line Services, the world’s leading provider of language-based services, is a trusted partner to thousands of organizations throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom whose focus is to effectively serve the rapidly expanding market of limited English speakers. The company delivers a dynamic suite of solutions spanning phone and video interpretation, document translation, interactive software-based translation, and interpreter training and certification programs, enabling clients to communicate with customers in their preferred language. Through its leading-edge technology infrastructure, Language Line Services delivers support for over 175 unique languages to its industry-leading portfolio of clients across markets including healthcare, financial services, government, telecom, packaged goods, insurance services, travel, and more. For information on how Language Line Services is helping clients achieve their strategic multi-cultural marketing and regulatory compliance objectives, please call 1-800-752-6096 or visit www.LanguageLine.com.