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Healthcare interpreting is our core and our strength. We know it well and have all of the leaders, pioneers and practicing interpreters depending on us to bring them an entire family of certifications that match their level of practice and give them something to work toward as they advance their knowledge and build their business.
The Commissioners of CCHI know healthcare interpreting to the depth and extent of their entire working lives in the industry and from relationships with thousands of healthcare interpreters.
Catherine Anderson, M.A., Manager, Language & Cultural Services, Jewish Vocational Service
Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, M.A., CCHI Treasurer; Spanish and French Interpreter; Director of Interpreter Services & Community Partnerships, University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics
Frederick Bw’Ombongi, M.H.A., Swahili Interpreter; Manager, Translation and Interpreting Services, Spectrum Health
Kathleen K. Diamond, M.A., Association of Language Companies (ALC)
Frederick D. Hobby, M.A., CCHI Vice-Chair, Outreach; President & CEO, Institute for Diversity in Health Management, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association
Jonathan Levy, M.A., Director of Language Services, CyraCom
Alejandro Maldonado, B.A., Spanish Interpreter; Limited English Proficiency Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Maria Michalczyk, R.N., M.A., President, Kavrama Halk; AHA Training Center Coordinator
Natalya Mytareva, Russian Interpreter; Communications Programs Director, International Institute of Akron, Inc.
Elizabeth Nguyen, M.A., CCHI Secretary; Vietnamese and French Interpreter; Senior Diversity Specialist, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Virginia Pérez-Santallá, C.T., Spanish Translator and Interpreter; Officer of the Board of Directors, American Translators Association
Karin Ruschke, M.A., CCHI Vice-Chair, Certification; German Interpreter; President, International Language Services, Inc.
Mara Youdelman, J.D., LL.M., CCHI Chair; Project Director, National Language Access Advocacy Project; Managing Attorney, National Health Law Program
Catherine Anderson, M.A.
Manager, Language & Cultural Services
Jewish Vocational Service
Kansas City, Missouri
www.jvskc.org
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 Catherine Anderson was born in Detroit, the daughter of a school teacher and a newspaper reporter. Educated in Kansas City, Missouri, and at the University of Missouri and Syracuse University, Catherine joined Jewish Vocational Service, a refugee resettlement agency and licensed provider of Bridging the Gap™. The Language and Cultural Services program offers interpreter services, interpreter training, and cultural competency training in Missouri and across the state of Kansas. Previously, Catherine worked in Boston for 22 years as a teacher, journalist and advocate for immigrant healthcare rights. She was the English editor of Sampan, a New England-wide bilingual newspaper serving the Asian community and located in Boston’s Chinatown. Growing up with a brother with autism, Catherine has long been interested in language and healthcare rights and worked for Health Care For All, a Boston non-profit organization advocating healthcare reform. She has written articles on language access and has published two collections of poetry that weave together themes of culture and language.
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Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, M.A., CCHI Treasurer
Spanish & French Interpreter
Director of Interpreter Services & Community Partnerships
University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics
Madison, Wisconsin
www.uwhealth.org
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 Shiva Bidar-Sielaff is a nationally renowned expert in the field of medical interpreting and published author, Shiva serves on the Board of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care as the co-chair of the Standards, Training and Certification Committee. Working with other community healthcare partners, her leadership has been instrumental in the development of language access & cultural competency policies and practices in Dane County, Wisconsin. She is the vice-chair of the Dane County Latino Health Council and an Executive Committee member of the Latino Support Network. In April 2000, Shiva received the Dane County Public Health Leadership Award for Multicultural Health Care. She is the 2005 recipient of the Madison YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for her work in fighting inequality and eliminating racism. She obtained her B.A. from the School of Interpreters, University of Hainaut, in Mons, Belgium, and her M.A. from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.
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Frederick Bw’Ombongi, M.H.A.
Swahili Interpreter
Manager, Translation and Interpreting Services
Spectrum Health
Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.spectrum-health.org
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 Frederick Bw’Ombongi provides leadership and accountability for the development and implementation of system-wide translation and interpretation systems for Spectrum Health where he participates in trainings and efforts to educate providers and physicians as they relate to translation and interpretation services. Before coming to Spectrum Health, Frederick worked as a preventive health coordinator/case manager at Catholic Human Development Outreach for five years and helped resettle refugees from different parts of the world especially Sudanese, Vietnamese, Cubans, Bosnian, Iraqis, Burundians and Rwandese. He is also an adjunct faculty member at University of Phoenix.
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Kathleen K. Diamond, M.A.
Association of Language Companies
Washington, DC
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 Kathleen Diamond is an advocate, entrepreneur, and business leader in the language services industry. In 1979, she founded Language Learning Enterprises, Inc. (LLE®), a full-service language company based in Washington, D.C. Over the next 30 years, the company grew from a sole proprietorship to a dynamic, multimillion dollar corporation, serving a wide variety of clients, in both the private and public sectors, across the United States, and worldwide. In 2009, LLE was acquired by CyraCom International. Kathleen continues her work advocating for the importance and relevance of language services by representing the Association of Language Companies (ALC), being an active member of the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) and supporting the formation of an ASTM International Main Committee for Language Services and Products.She earned her M.A. and B.A. from the University of Florida. She is fluent in both Spanish and French.
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Frederick D. Hobby, M.A., CCHI Vice-Chair, Outreach
President & CEO
Institute for Diversity in Health Management,
an affiliate of the American Hospital Association
Chicago, Illinois
www.diversityconnection.org
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 Frederick Hobby has developed tools and resources to enhance diversity in our nation’s hospitals and helped healthcare organizations with diversity activities. Before joining the Institute, Fred spent 10 years with the Greenville Hospital System, a 1,086-bed acute care teaching hospital system. As administrator and chief diversity officer, he developed and implemented a system-wide diversity initiative that is nationally recognized for its comprehensiveness and success. Fred is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and founding president of the South Carolina Chapter, National Association of Health Services Executives, 1993-1996. Fred received a bachelor’s degree in history/political science from Kentucky State University in Frankfort, KY and a master’s degree in sociology from Washington University in St. Louis. Fred was listed as one of the “96 Most Powerful People in Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare Magazine.
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Jonathan Levy, M.A.
Director of Language Services
CyraCom
Tucson, Arizona
www.cyracom.com
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 Jonathan Levy is an experienced educator involved in the testing, training, and provision of interpreters for over 10 years. Jonathan is the former assistant director of the University of Arizona’s National Center for Interpretation where he oversaw the creation and implementation of multiple state and federal interpreter testing and training programs. He also co-directed the Professional Language Development Project, a highly successful program to train bilingual secondary students in interpretation and translation techniques. Jonathan holds a master’s degree from the University of Arizona in cultural studies and comparative literature and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in Asian and African history. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the California Healthcare Interpreting Association and is a member of the National Association of Judicial Interpreters and Translators, sitting on the Community Liaison Committee.
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Alejandro Maldonado, B.A.
Spanish Interpreter
Limited English Proficiency Coordinator
Minnesota Department of Human Services
St. Paul, Minnesota
www.dhs.state.mn.us
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 Alejandro Maldonado serves in different committees related to language access to reduce disparities to people with LEP and addresses disparity to access and services in healthcare and social services in the state of Minnesota. He has worked in and with government agencies to move Minnesota towards developing an interpreter registry and served on an executive committee that produced a report for the state legislature on access and interpreting services in the medical field. He also works with the Interpreting Stakeholder Group, is an active member of the Latino Advisory Committee providing advice to the Minneapolis Mayor's Office and City Council, and has been a well recognized active professional interpreter by his colleagues in the medical field for almost two decades. In addition to the study of linguistics and interpreting, Alejandro founded Avante Enterprises and flies charitable missions for Angel Flight Central.
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Maria Michalczyk, R.N, M.A.
President
Kavrama Halk
AHA Training Center Coordinator
Portland, Oregon
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 Maria Michalczyk founded and directed the Healthcare Interpreter Training program at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. Maria has worked as a healthcare professional for over 38 years in critical care, utilization review services and general nursing duties. She has worked for the Oregon Health Sciences University as a medical interpreter manager and diversity training instructor, as an R.N. in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and was involved in the ASTM National Workgroup on setting national guidelines on medical interpretation. Maria has served on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care since 2001, serving as co-chair of the Organizational Development Committee and co-chair of the Board. Maria has also served as the honorary chair for the Japanese Association for Healthcare Interpreting in Japan since 2006. In April of 2006, Maria was awarded the “Governor John Kitzhaber Public Health Leadership Award” granted by Multnomah County Health Department in Oregon. She holds a B.S. in general science and an M.A. in anthropology from Portland State University, and a degree in nursing from the University of Guam.
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Natalya Mytareva
Russian Interpreter
Communications Programs Director
International Institute of Akron, Inc.
Akron, Ohio
www.iiakron.org
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 Natalya Mytareva, a Russian interpreter/translator, started her career as instructor of various Russian/English interpretation and translation courses at Volgograd State University (Russia) in 1991. Since 2000, she has been with the International Institute of Akron, Inc. (IIA), responsible for coordinating the interpreting and translation services and interpreter and cultural competence training programs. Since 2003, Natalya has been teaching introductory courses to healthcare interpreters at various facilities in Ohio (including some of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation). She co-taught a graduate-level course Introduction to Health Care Interpreting at Kent State University (Fall 2005). Natalya is the author and instructor of a 60-hour course for interpreters of languages of lesser diffusion, Beyond-the-Basics Interpreter Terminology & Skills (BITS), which includes a 24-hour module, BITS for Health Care. The course has been offered at the IIA since 2008. Natalya has delivered a variety of presentations for healthcare and social service providers on cultural competence, working with interpreters and serving newly resettled refugee populations. She holds a degree from Volgograd State University (comparable to the U.S. M.A. degree) in philology & teaching English as a foreign language.
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Elizabeth Nguyen, M.A., CCHI Secretary
Vietnamese and French Interpreter
Senior Diversity Specialist
Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)
Los Angeles, California
www.childrenshospitalla.org
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 Elizabeth Nguyen is responsible for the development and maintenance of cultural and linguistic educational programs. Originally from Saigon, Vietnam, she speaks French and Vietnamese, has a degree in French literature and philosophy, and a master’s degree in applied linguistics. Elizabeth is the immediate past president of California Healthcare Intepreting Association (CHIA), the former co-chair of CHIA Standards and Certification Committee and Education Committee, and the co-author of “CHIA California Standards for Healthcare Interpreters.” She contributed to the development of several interpreter-training programs such as “Connecting Worlds” funded by The California Endowment; is a “Connecting Worlds” trainer and a graduate of the American Society for Training and Development. Her passion for advancing the health interpreting profession and her commitment to equal access to care for limited English-proficient patients have led her through multiple arenas of activities that include interpreter training, curriculum development, cultural competency training, consumer advocacy and national speaking engagements.
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Virginia Pérez-Santallá, C.T.
Spanish/English Translator and Interpreter
Officer of the Board of Directors, American Translators Association
ATA Eng>Spa and Federally Certified
New Brunswick, New Jersey
www.atanet.org
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 Virginia Pérez-Santallá was born and raised in Cuba. She became a translator and received her American Translators Association certification in the early '80s. She then diversified into interpreting. She took the N.J. court interpreters examination in 1989 being classified as Master Interpreter. In 1993 Virginia passed the Federal Court Interpreters Examination. She is also a sought-after conference interpreter, experienced in many fields. Virginia became assistant administrator of the Spanish Language Division of the ATA from 2000 to 2004. As chairperson of the committee, she was instrumental in organizing the division’s first three conferences. In 2003, Virginia was nominated as candidate for a Board of Directors position in the American Translators Association and was elected at the conference in Phoenix, AZ. In 2007, she was then nominated, unopposed, and elected to the position of ATA Board Secretary and member of the Executive Committee. In 2009, she is on the slate again for the same position, running unopposed.
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Karin Ruschke, M.A., CCHI Vice-Chair, Certification
German Interpreter
President
International Language Services, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
www.ilschicago.com
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 Karin Ruschke heads her own full-service agency providing telephone, high definition video remote (VRI) and on-site interpreting, written translation services and training to clients nationwide. She has developed a comprehensive 65-hour training and professional internship program for interpreters in healthcare addressing the rigorous standards of accuracy, confidentiality, role boundaries and cultural-sensitivity, improving the effectiveness and professionalism of healthcare interpreting. Skill development training materials can be found on her website at www.ilschicago.com. Karin is actively involved in all aspects of developing the healthcare interpreting industry, playing an integral role in advancing the field of healthcare interpreting. She ended her service as a board member of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care in May 2011 after co-chairing the Standards, Training and Certification Committee (STC) from 1999 – 2011, during which time the committee published the National Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Interpreters in Health Care, as well as National Standards for Healthcare Interpreter Training Programs. A technical advisor on The Joint Commission research project, Hospitals, Language and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation, Karin was one of only 26 members on the expert advisory panel for the Commission’s project, Developing Hospital Standards for Culturally Competent Patient-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals. Karin currently serves as CCHI’s Vice-Chair, Certification. Karin is a nationally recognized speaker on topics such as healthcare interpreter assessment, training and mentoring, interpreter services issues relating to LEP patient care and other topics related to language access issues.
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Mara Youdelman, J.D., LL.M., CCHI Chair
Project Director, National Language Access Advocacy Project
Managing Attorney, National Health Law Program (NHeLP)
Washington, DC
www.healthlaw.org
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 Mara Youdelman has worked at the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) since August 2000. At NHeLP, Mara directs the National Language Access Advocacy Project, funded by the California Endowment, to increase awareness of language access issues at the federal level. She coordinates a national coalition to develop a consensus-driven agenda to improve policies and funding for individuals with limited English proficiency. Mara is co-author of Ensuring Linguistic Access in Health Care Settings: Legal Rights and Responsibilities and, for The Commonwealth Fund, three reports on promising practices for providing language services in healthcare settings, small healthcare provider settings and state and local benefit offices. Recognized as a national expert on language access, she has participated on expert advisory panels for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the American Medical Association’s Ethical Force Program, the National Quality Forum, and The Joint Commission. Prior to NHeLP, Mara completed a teaching fellowship at Georgetown University Law Center’s Federal Legislation Clinic. Mara earned her J.D. from Boston University School of Law and her LL.M. in Advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center.
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