| What People Are Saying About CCHI |
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"Lionbridge is proud to support the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) in its endeavor to develop sound practices and processes that focus on providing trained, certified, and readily employable healthcare interpreters. With a long-standing dedication to high quality language services, we at Lionbridge believe our contribution to CCHI reflects our continued commitment to improving language industry standards." Lionbridge "We are very pleased to support the direction and model CCHI is taking within the health care industry to provide the highest level of trained, qualified, and certified population of health care interpreters."
Sabri Azizi "3iCorp.com is proud to support CCHI in its efforts to provide reliable access to and improve language services within the health care space."
Sal Alvarez "The CCHI certification process is an essential component to ensuring the quality of health care interpreting as health care providers strive to achieve patient-centeredness and equity."
Ignatius Bau "Atlas Language Services, Inc. is honored to support the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) certification program. The benchmarks that are being established by CCHI is a great step forward for our industry in establishing nationwide standards. Healthcare administrators will be certain that the CCHI certified linguists that they are using are competent professionals!"
Kevin McQuire "National certification is very much needed to increase the supply and competency of interpreters that work in the medical field. We are proud to support CCHI as they have a clear, focused and transparent approach. From the standpoint of a language service provider, this certification will definitely assist us in streamlining our internal processes."
Francesco Pagano "I am excited about the direction of CCHI and their new medical certification. This will certainly raise the bar for the industry. HealthLink Interpreters will encourage all interpreters to go through this process. The future of interpretation will be stronger when this certification is available for many other languages."
Sarah Gamble "The certification process run by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters is truly careful, transparent and impartial. CCHI is an autonomous entity whose only goal is to create a valid and reliable system for recognizing medical and healthcare interpreters. While welcoming the collaboration of all stakeholders, CCHI is beholden only to the profession. Its quest for the common good inspires a trust that has been rightfully earned and, thus, the recognition of many industry thought leaders."
Laura K.T. Schriver "We feel the direction CCHI is taking will increase the level of interpretation service health care facilities are able to provide to their patients, and the health care industry as a whole will be the beneficiary of CCHI efforts."
Edward Cavazos “Recognizing the vital role of clear health communication in improving access to quality health care, AHIP and its member companies are encouraged by CCHI’s efforts to advance workforce development of healthcare interpreters through a certification process. Effective language services help to promote good patient-provider communication and assist consumers in taking an active role in their health and health care.”
Rita Carreón “For years medical interpreting organizations like MAMI (the Multicultural Association of Medical Interpreters) have been promoting the use of trained interpreters without being able to refer to a certification process. Now, at last, we will have medical interpreter certification thanks to the professionalism of CCHI. This independent commission, led by the best in the field, is establishing a National Certification process that will set the standard for medical interpreting and help ensure that the profession is respected and appreciated as an integral part of the health care industry."
Cornelia Brown, Ph.D. “Ours is a place of hope and healing for a particularly diverse international population of patients and families who come to us for lifesaving care, and I believe we understand better than most the importance of making an institutional commitment to ensure competency in language interpretation. We’re absolutely delighted with the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, and we’re pleased that our Senior Diversity Specialist, Elizabeth A. Nguyen, M.A., has been engaged in the formation of this important new organization and the commitment to competency in language interactions in healthcare settings.”
Richard D. Cordova, FACHE “As an individual involved in national policies pertaining to access for individuals who are non-English speakers or of limited English proficiency (LEP), as well as an active member of various professional associations and a former chair of a national interpreters association, I am well aware of the importance and critical need for certified and qualified interpreters. An interpreter is the nexus between the non-English or LEP individual and doctors, hospital staff and other medical service providers. If the interpreter is not competent, it can render doctors and other medical staff incompetent. Throughout my career, I have also learned that an effective certification process must be transparent and include a valid and reliable testing instrument, and this requires that all the stakeholders as well as experts in the field of test development are at the table. I applaud CCHI for this undertaking and for the selection of an very impressive group of sponsors, stakeholders and experts to head this initiative.”
Isabel Framer "We feel anytime we can help improve the standards of our interpretation industry, we raise the level of professionalism within our industry, and strengthen the future of the interpretation industry for all."
Andrei Lupenko “Validity, reliability, and credibility – these are the three keystones for any national certification program. The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters combines the technical expertise, the inclusive process, and the ethical standing to successfully develop and implement a certification process that meets these three criteria. For medical interpreters, I have no doubt at all that the CCHI certification will become the gold standard by which the skills of all healthcare interpreters are measured.”
Cynthia E. Roat, M.P.H. “Health care has made important strides over the last several years with the recognition that interpreter services are a core component of providing health care. Creation of CCHI national certification standards for interpreters is the next step in insuring that interpreters are viewed as an essential part of a transdisciplinary health care team and is strongly supported by the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved.”
Peter Sherman, M.D. “I heartily support the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters and its plans for development of a valid, independent, broadly supported certification process.”
Bruce Downing, Ph.D. “CCHI will benefit the industry by lending clarity and credibility to the definition of what a medical interpreter is: a highly skilled, well-trained and practiced professional.”
Kathleen K. Diamond, M.A. “I believe the medical interpreter profession is in dire need of national certification so that there is uniformity and quality in interpretation for the benefit of patients as well as providers of healthcare services. Certification will benefit the industry raising it to a new level. It will benefit interpreters by providing a recognized credential that will validate their professionalism. It will benefit providers and patients assuring them that they will get the professional services they need. The best way to achieve this goal is through a non-profit organization in which the various stakeholders collaborate to create a valid, recognized certifying instrument. CCHI is the organization that brings all these qualities to the table. It is an unparalleled collaboration of stakeholders through which the goal of national certification will be achieved.”
Virginia Perez-Santalla C.T. “Going to the doctor or hospital can be intimidating. Now imagine your healthcare provider speaks another language and you have no assurance of the qualifications of your interpreter. That's a situation that healthcare providers and patients face every day. A patient's life may depend on accurate communication with their care provider, yet there are no national standards specifying how an interpreter should be professionally trained and tested for competency. CCHI brings together a diverse array of healthcare industry professionals with the goal of developing a valid and credible certification process, with the ultimate goal of assuring both providers and patients of complete, accurate communication.”
Karin Ruschke, M.A. “The Center for Immigrant Health (New York University School of Medicine) has been ardently working for the last 20 years on the eradication of disparities in health by facilitating linguistically, culturally, and epidemiologically appropriate services to immigrant populations. Our medical interpreting program, nationally and locally recognized, has been an essential vehicle for accomplishing our mission. We have trained thousands of individuals in medical interpreting in several languages and are convinced that CCHI’s development of a national certification process will benefit all the parties involved in the interpreted medical encounter. Not only will it create standards that interpreters can aspire to and put into practice, and an assurance that patients and providers will receive truly skilled interpretation, but it will also solidify medical interpreting as a profession.”
Carlos Javier Gonzalez, B.A. “Healthcare interpreter certification is critical to ensuring that quality language services are provided to communities of color.”
Ellen Wu, M.P.H. "CCHI represents a huge step forward for the healthcare interpreting profession. A national certification process will bring standardization and credibility to our field and will ensure quality healthcare for all patients regardless of language spoken."
Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, M.A. “CCHI, as an independent body of professionals representing a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the healthcare interpreter certification, puts an end to the confusion currently present in the field of healthcare interpreting regarding the interpreter’s role and qualifications. The Commission will offer a clear, valid and equitable standard that will:
Natalya Mytareva "The CCHI healthcare interpreter certification program will be of great value to physicians and patients by establishing uniform standards of competency for healthcare interpreter services and by ensuring that healthcare interpreters have the necessary qualifications and training required."
Jack Ginsburg, M.A. “CCHI will ensure that the competency of interpreters is no longer an issue in the triad of healthcare communications. CCHI’s certification program will ensure limited English proficient patients can effectively communicate with their healthcare providers and focus on concerns about their health rather than concerns about communicating.”
Mara Youdelman, J.D., LL.M. “We must provide language services to improve the quality of healthcare for those in the United States who do not yet speak English. Unaddressed language barriers result in substandard care for too many, creating substantial and predictable problems for all. The need for agreed upon standards of acceptable service, of which a valid and reliable certification process is a critical component, is essential to improve the situation. The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters is the most appropriate and able entity to further these goals.”
Jonathan Levy, M.A. “The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) will benefit limited-English proficient communities by guaranteeing that interpreters used in healthcare:1) know the Interpreters Code of Ethics; 2) know healthcare terminology; 3) understand the cultural nuances of language; 4) are proficient in English and their own language of expertise; and 5) are reliable and professional.”
Catherine Anderson “CCHI certification for healthcare interpreters will allow practicing interpreters to demonstrate their interpretation skills through an established, valid, and reliable assessment process which in turn will provide quality assurance to users of interpreters. As members of a profession, it is essential that interpreters have the tools in place that confirm their knowledge, skills, and abilities thereby indicating to the user of interpreter services (all parties involved) that the person providing the interpretation services meets the standard criteria of performance and qualifications in the field.”
Carola E. Green “I am very excited about the prospect that healthcare providers and LEP patients across the country will soon be able to rely on the assurance of interpreter competency through an accredited professional certification program developed by CCHI. Furthermore, I am confident that the equitable and fair process created by CCHI will adequately assess the knowledge and skills of all competent interpreters, across cultural and linguistic differences.”
Elizabeth Nguyen, M.A. “Healthcare interpreter certification is critical to the health and well being of our patients and the community and it is wonderful to see that CCHI will be embarking on certification. The impact of certification will be profound affecting the healthcare interpreting profession, healthcare providers and the healthcare system in general. Moreover, certification will provide a stabilization of the healthcare interpreting profession and it will provide a consumer protection aspect for all of those who receive healthcare interpreter services. Our communities look forward to the progress of CCHI and its implementation of a much needed healthcare interpreter certification process.”
Maria Michalczyk, R.N., M.A. “CCHI will ensure high quality patient care that is safe by raising the bar in the interpreting profession.”
Frederick Bw’Ombongi, M.H.A. "On behalf of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC), I applaud the development CCHI. Its existence is heartening to those of us who remain committed to a single national certification process which will be transparent and which will, in the end, prove to be of greatest benefit to ensuring language access in quality health care. Bravo!"
Joy Connell "When it comes to interpreters, health care executives want to make sure they hire talented people who can provide high-quality language services. With the development of the CCHI healthcare interpreter certification, health care organizations can rest assured that qualified, competent professionals will be helping their patients."
Marsha Regenstein, Ph.D. “CCHI/healthcare interpreter certification will allow health plans and other health care organizations to selectively hire interpreters who meet essential requirements for providing this critical service. Such certification also helps organizations to distinguish among vendors for interpreter services, based on the extent to which the contractor relies on healthcare interpreters who have been certified. Certification allows organizations committed to providing quality healthcare to also consider quality and competency in selecting interpreter services.”
Tricia Barrett, M.A. “I am really pleased that CCHI is undertaking the development of this certification process. It will meet a critical need expressed often by our member hospitals. They need to know that the interpreters they use are competent – whether from an agency or on their staff. “
Ellen Pryga “Culturesmart™ supports the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI), a national initiative led by recognized experts in our field. We’re excited that this certification process builds on their methods and experience producing superb working documents, including a code of ethics and standards of practice that have helped define the medical interpreting profession.”
Gregory Figaro, M.A. “Responding appropriately to the needs of our diverse communities includes clear and accurate communication when providing health care. The direct relationship between effective communication and quality of care has been substantiated by current research and supported by accrediting bodies. CCHI healthcare interpreter certification will enhance communication and quality of care. Quality language access for limited English proficient patient populations makes sense for the accountable executive who responds not only to the financial goals of an organization and the governing body but to the health care needs of the diverse communities she/he serves.”
Edward L. Martinez, M.S. “The CCHI can fill the gap for the need of a national certification body for healthcare interpreters. It’s been long overdue and OMH supports the creation of this resource for the healthcare industry.”
Guadalupe Pacheco, Jr., M.S.W. “The CCHI program for credentialing health care interpreters will have a major impact upon healthcare patients who struggle with the English language. The field itself will be advanced and improved by a standard measurement of competency in this profession. Not only patients and professionals, but employers, educators, reimbursers, regulators and institutions will all benefit.”
Jerald A. Jacobs, Esq. “CCHI’s upcoming work will enhance the quality and professionalism of healthcare interpreters. The Commission will also positively impact healthcare providers and patients through better risk management, better cost controls, higher patient compliance and satisfaction, ensuring more accurate diagnosis and treatment and preventing medical errors.”
Frederick D. Hobby, M.A. “Asian Americans are more likely than other groups to face communication problems with their doctors. CCHI’s healthcare interpreter certification that helps increase the supply of competent interpreters for a diversity of languages will improve overall quality of care.”
Deeana L. Jang, J.D. "As our members continue to provide health care for patients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, CCHI will allow them to enrich the level of culturally and linguistically competent health care service delivery for all patients."
Tanya Lopez "While the conversations surrounding healthcare interpreter certification have been taking place across the country for years, it is reassuring to know that CCHI is working on a valid and credible process that will be inclusive and well thought out and that will focus on improving the care received by patients of limited English proficiency throughout the nation."
Jorge U. Ungo "In 2007, a series of national forums on the question 'Are we ready for national certification of healthcare interpreters?' sponsored by the NCIHC indicated a resounding call for a neutral, national organization that would take the lead in the development and administration of a high quality, inclusive certification process. Congratulations to CCHI for undertaking this endeavor, a step that is crucial to the professionalization of health care interpreting. CCHI will bring the needed credibility to ensure a valid and reliable certification process and one that will be widely accepted by key stakeholders."
María-Paz Beltrán Avery, Ph.D. "The benefits to members of a community such as healthcare providers, interpreters, patients, insurance companies, government, and many others are very valuable. One could start to outline the importance of improving the working environment for interpreters by raising their standards to a more professional level. This is followed by the standardization of specific requirements to adequately deliver the quality of healthcare services provided to individuals with limited English proficiency in the U.S. and to help reduce interpreting and translating medical errors due to utilization of untrained interpreters. In the arena of cost funding for healthcare interpreters, CCHI will provide the environment that will contribute to the development of sound policies to reimburse adequately for the cost of interpreting services surrendered. Establishing a framework that is sponsored, endorsed, and well recognized nationwide, will enhance the foundation to ensure meaningful access and reduce disparities to those kept in the margins of society, individuals with limited English proficiency."
Alejandro Maldonado "Healthcare interpreter certification is critical to ensure quality and meaningful interactions. CCHI’s national certification process would ensure a verifiable and uniform set of standards that articulate the qualifications of interpreters that are valid, reliable, and consistent. Such standards are key to building trust, credibility, and professionalism in the emerging field of healthcare interpreting."
Gayle Tang "The New Jersey Hospital Association has focused intently on providing support and resources that help our hospitals communicate effectively with New Jersey’s diverse communities. CCHI’s work will complement those ongoing efforts and help ensure that competent, qualified interpreters are available to help us serve our patients."
Betsy Ryan "For physicians who practice in diverse communities, caring for patients without interpreters is like practicing veterinary medicine. CCHI’s national certification program is a critical step in ensuring the quality of healthcare limited English speakers receive."
Alice Hm Chen, M.D., M.P.H. "I just participated at the convening of trainers organized by Healthy House in Merced, California, where I had the opportunity to attend Ms. Elizabeth Nguyen’s presentation about CCHIs efforts towards certification. I just wanted to let you know that I wholeheartedly support your efforts. I believe your goals are honorable, clearly stated and achievable. Joining NOCA seems to be the best way to proceed and the processes you have established appear to be ethical, reliable, and adequate. I am convinced that the certification process is in great hands. I wanted to congratulate and thank you for your work."
Jaime Fatas-Cabeza "Certification is one of the hallmarks of a strong profession. A valid and reliable test of the knowledge, skills and abilities required for proficiency in this challenging occupation is a crucial factor that will bring us closer to the day when healthcare interpreters can stand proudly beside their colleagues in other prestigious language service and medical professions as recognized specialists whose authority and expertise are highly valued."
Holly Mikkelson |
