Healthcare Interpreter Certification Commissioners Complete

First Steps in Creating Comprehensive Certification Program

Washington, DC, October 28, 2009 – The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) completed a two-day work session in the conference facilities of the American Hospital Association in Chicago on October 21 and 22. The meeting concluded with agreement on all elements of the job task analysis and body of knowledge that will define the CCHI Certification programs and exams, slated for completion in 2010.

Working through a packed, 18-item agenda, the commissioners discussed multiple issues and policy decisions necessary to assure competency in language interactions in healthcare settings.  They also made a final selection of the professional certification test development company to perform the job task analysis and body of knowledge studies.  “CCHI took a close look at eight test development suppliers to the certification industry and selected Atvantus because of their experience with other healthcare certification programs and understanding of the performance requirement – interpretation as a key component of the certification process,” said Karin Ruschke, CCHI Vice Chair for Certification.

The day after making a final decision to award the contract to Atvantus, the commissioners went right into a work session to cover the first phase of the job task analysis.  “The best way to demonstrate our total commitment to delivering the most reliable, most respected, high-stakes certification that can be created without any delays was to get right down to work on the job task analysis,” said Mara Youdelman, Chair of CCHI.

“For more than 20 years, the healthcare community and the people they serve have been facing a growing dilemma of not being able to communicate with each other, especially in a critical time of emergency and life-threatening situations,” Youdelman emphasized.  “The work session last week took some giant steps toward developing, implementing and administering CCHI Certification for Healthcare Interpreters.

Other highlights of the commission meeting included presentations by Jim Kendzel, Executive Director of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and Jerry Jacobs, partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and author of the Certification and Accreditation Law Handbook.

“Many attributes put CCHI in the leadership position in certification for our entire field,” said Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, CCHI Treasurer.  “Aligning our vision and our processes, from the very beginning, with the standards the NCCA sets to become an accredited certification program and with the standards that ANSI will examine when the time comes to go through their accreditation review is something only CCHI can claim. Jim Kendzel’s conversation with the commissioners was frank, detailed and eye-opening about what it takes to become accredited and what you can say or should never exaggerate about your relationship with NCCA.”

Jerry Jacobs provided a comprehensive look at the total experience for a commissioner and legal issues for certifications in healthcare professions and technical fields.  His experience includes the founding of NOCA, plus work with hundreds of certification organizations, non-profits and associations. “Jerry packed a lot of great, useful information in an hour and answered dozens of questions coming from every commissioner,” said Elizabeth Nguyen, CCHI Secretary. “As we advance through the various steps of the certification process, we will continue to consciously seek advice and follow guidance from legal counsels such as Jerry Jacobs, who are well-versed in the matter of certification and accreditation law.  As such, we trust every one of our stakeholders can rest assured that CCHI is on solid ground, legally and in many other ways,” she concluded.

Another highlight of the meeting was the discussion regarding the many inquiries CCHI has received from those who would like to be officially recognized as supporters of the CCHI Certification Program development and rollout processes.  “This is a big area to cover,” said Fred Hobby, CCHI Vice Chair for Outreach.  “We came up with specific strategies and appropriate responses to recognize and include several different types of supporters.  These include interpreters, their employers, agencies, subject-matter experts for the CCHI certification development phases, and organizations that want to make public endorsements and add their credibility to the total effort.”

For more information, contact:
Mara Youdelman
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202.683.1999