Who We Are

CCHI was incorporated in July 2009 as an independent certification agency and 501(c)(6) organization in compliance with requirements of the IRS for certification commissions.  CCHI is the first to step forward with a total structure and vendor-neutral business plan to serve the current and future needs of healthcare interpreters and the stakeholders (healthcare providers and institutions, language agencies, government agencies, customers) who are counting on us to provide a trained, qualified, certified and competency-based population of healthcare interpreters.

What We Stand For

We are 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.”

More than 20 years of conversations, meetings, collaborations, and several well-intentioned starts into credentials, certification considerations, professional development concepts and training standards told us that the time was now and urgent to provide the leadership and the proper legal and operational structures that the entire field of healthcare interpreters needs.

The commissioners of CCHI know healthcare interpreting to the depth and extent of their entire working life in the industry and relationships with thousands of healthcare interpreters.

Our vision and long-term goals
The vision and long-term goals of CCHI are clear and credible. In the first two years of CCHI, the commissioners will develop and direct a comprehensive certification program for healthcare interpreters.  This program may include several certifications to accommodate the needs for levels of skills, knowledge and proficiency as well as specializations that immediately address the occupational tasks of the majority of healthcare interpreters. We expect that the first certification/credential will be available in Fall 2010.

Your role as a leader and witness to CCHI history
The need for your leadership and commitment to the entire field of healthcare interpreting has never been greater.  You and people like you – the most experienced and respected in healthcare, healthcare interpreting and healthcare certification, form the backbone and brainpower at CCHI.

We invite you to explore our website and join us because your talents and expertise are critical to ensuring we get it right and respect the certification processes and best practices established by many in the healthcare credentials area that came before us.

 The CCHI Commitment

To Meet the Needs and Challenges in the Field
How vast and complex are the challenges that CCHI is prepared to take on?  According to the U.S. Census, more than 25 million people speak English less than very well and may be considered limited English proficient (LEP).  Healthcare providers across the country are increasingly treating LEP patients:

• 80% of hospitals encounter LEP patients frequently.
• 81% of internal medicine physicians treat LEP patients frequently.
• 84% of federally qualified health centers (FQHC) provide clinical services daily to LEP patients.

With such a diversity of needs, how do healthcare adminstrators and coordinators of interpreting services assess the competency of interpreters across a wide variety of languages in a valid, consistent and reliable way? Until now, the healthcare system has been relying on the only thing available—a system of interpreter referrals or dependency on the interpreting services vendors who have their own corporate training and suite of specific services. The need is urgent for CCHI to provide the “assurance of competency through an accredited professional certification program.”

To serve the public good
The emerging healthcare interpreting field incorporates many stakeholders:  patients, interpreters, healthcare institutions, advocates, interpreter associations, language companies, healthcare payers (including private insurers and government entities), non-profits and for-profits. It is imperative therefore, that the national dialogue on certification be led by a neutral party without a financial interest in the outcome —an independent certification commission such as CCHI, whose primary interest is the well-being of those in need of interpreting services.

Indeed, for a national certification process to be credible, care must be taken to avoid even the appearance that any vested interest has unduly influenced the development process. Each person involved in CCHI must make known the nature of his/her interest in certification, including potential conflicts of interest (see our Conflict of Interest policy) and/or benefits that s/he may accrue as a result of the work.  And CCHI will only accept funding that does not affect CCHI’s independence to pursue its work; and does not impugn CCHI's integrity and reputation. (see our Policies and Procedures for the Acceptance of Gifts).

To function from our core strength
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.

To ensure a collaborative, consensus-driven process.
CCHI believes that any effort to develop national certification and standards for pre-qualifications, training and continuing education must be a collaborative, consensus-driven process in which all stakeholders have the opportunity to participate.

The development of a national certification process goes beyond the creation of a test. Certification is a complex process in any field but especially so in a field in which the content is steeped in difficult linguistic and cultural issues. We wholeheartedly agree to the need for scientifically rigorous assessment methodologies but also want to create an equitable and fair process that will allow all competent interpreters, regardless of background, to be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they possess as interpreters.  We do not want high numbers of good interpreters failing simply because of a certification tool’s inability to adequately assess knowledge and skills across cultural and linguistic differences.

 
Our Advisory Panels

In addition to the outstanding group of professionals selected as CCHI commissioners, we have gathered advisors from organizations and groups that will bring credibility, respect, authority to the certifications created and administered by CCHI.

These Advisory Panels, innovative in the world of credentialing, will help CCHI address the complexities of certification in a respectful manner and ensure the transparency of the development process.  

These Advisory Panels include:

• Healthcare certification program owners or administrators of established, recognized and accredited certification programs.
• Accrediting agency professionals with experience and expertise in working with healthcare certification program owners and operators, advising them on best practices and standards matters.
• Healthcare interpreter industry experts who may include interpreters, interpreter managers, national and state association leaders, and suppliers to buyers of healthcare interpreter services.
• Healthcare industry and policy stakeholders to include representatives from federal government agencies, state agencies and regional jurisdictions, government affairs advisors, healthcare provider associations, and advocates.

CCHI Short-Term Objectives and Expected Outcomes

1. Public Launch of the CCHI - On September 15, 2009, CCHI was officially launched through a coordinated public relations strategy, including announcement of its Commissioners and initial Advisors (Policy & Industry Stakeholder Advisory Group, Certification Program Expert Advisory Group), and unveiling of CCHI’s web site.
2. Completion of the Job Task Analysis - CCHI's process of developing a national, valid, credible, vendor-neutral certification program for healthcare interpreters began with a Job/Task Analysis (JTA) to create a current definition of the healthcare interpreting profession through an unbiased, scientific study.  The results of this national survey provide the overarching framework for CCHI's certification program.  Close to 2,500 interpreters, supervisors of intepreters, and trainers representing healthcare interpreting services in 141 languages responded to CCHI's JTA Survey.
3. Initiation of Certification Test Development - CCHI will work with its panel of certification professionals to define, design, develop and deploy a psychometrically sound, legally defensible certification exam that is customized to the specific practices of healthcare interpreters. Written exams, performance exams and portfolio credentials are all up for consideration prior to any final decisions on certification testing administered by CCHI.

If you have any questions, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (202) 683-1999.