Now is the time and CCHI is the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters.

CCHI is the only certification body created by interpreters, for interpreters and the public good, and will involve thousands of interpreters and users of interpreter services in defining their future and the credentials by which they will be known and respected.

CCHI brings together the necessary stakeholders through a non-profit organization whose main mission is to develop and administer a national, valid, credible, vendor-neutral certification program for healthcare interpreters.

Healthcare interpreting is CCHI’s core and strength.

CCHI is the answer to requests in the field for “one voice, one set of industry-formed and approved standards, and an assurance of competency through an accredited, professional certification program”. The commissioners of CCHI know healthcare interpreting to the depth and extent of their entire working lives in the industry and relationships with thousands of healthcare interpreters.

CCHI takes a vendor-neutral approach to its interpreter certification program development. That means CCHI researches and builds healthcare interpreter certification programs based on data from the field regarding the knowledge, skills, performance and employers’ expectations, rather than looking at a training program or specific vendor’s service package.

In addition, CCHI has a conflict of interest policy and all commissioners sign a conflict of interest agreement in which all commissioners agree to conduct their work on behalf of all healthcare interpreters and the public good. More specifically, every commissioner puts service to CCHI and all healthcare interpreters above their self interest.

More than 20 years of conversations, collaborations and several well-intentioned starts told long-time healthcare and interpreter professionals that now was the time to form CCHI to provide the leadership and the proper legal and operational structures that the entire field of healthcare interpreting needs, desires and deserves.