From www.wate.com - August 14, 12:33 AM
Medical interpreter program removes language barrier for Latino community

by: Tearsa Smith

Posted: Aug 12, 2024 / 12:45 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 13, 2024 / 07:38 AM EDT

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Many of us take for granted the ability to talk with our health care provider but for many of our neighbors there is a language barrier to receiving adequate care. A program is looking to decrease health care disparities in the Latino community by opening the lines of communication.

“So we, we thought, you know, we have a lot of people who are bilingual, not even bilingual, but multilingual. We have a lot of people who speak dialects. How do we get them in these positions where they’re able to make the healthcare landscape look more equitable? And so when we started thinking about that, we thought, okay, well, there’s a lot of people who want to go into higher education and they want to go into the medical field. Let’s get them started as medical interpreters, give them the training that they need,” Dalia Rodriguez-Rojo, Centro Hispano’s Medical Interpreter Program Coordinator, said.

Centro Hispano’s Medical Interpreter Training Program is on its third cohort of aspiring medical interpreters. It started as a partnership with the University of Tennessee Medical Center, but now they have expanded to five local medical centers.

“Having someone that’s there who can advocate for you and let your provider know, ‘hey, this is what the patient is saying. This is what the patient needs.’ It really puts the patient back in control of their own healthcare,” said Rodriguez-Rojo.

The program helps fill the gap for a growing Hispanic population.

“Because we’re here for them, you know, obviously we’re there for the doctor as well, for him to be able to give the message, but most likely we’re mostly there for our patients — because we don’t want them to feel left out, or, you know less, because they cannot communicate,” said Daniella Lopez who is training with the program.

 

Aspiring medical interpreters like Lopez and fellow student, Erika Tomas, attend workshops, role-playing scenarios, learn medical vocabulary and will undergo a practicum.

“I think it’s very important to build that kind of relationship with our community, that they can trust us in interpreting for them, because there is a scarcity in interpreters, and for me, knowing three languages, it’s very important to be able to use the skills that I was given to help others,” said Tomas.

“It’s a common misconception that if you’re bilingual, you can be a medical interpreter. It’s a lot more than that. You need to know the terminology. You need to know the ethics behind it. A lot of people think, ‘okay, if I speak Spanish, if I speak a third language, you know, I can be a great medical interpreter,’ but that’s not the case,” said Rodriguez-Rojo.

The interpreter training program is on its third cohort and their soon to be new jobs are in high demand.

According to Centro Hispano, “applicants should be fully bilingual in speaking English and Spanish (speakers of indigenous Mayan dialects are encouraged to contact Centro to discuss possibilities) and will need to complete a language fluency evaluation prior to full acceptance into the program. Applicants should also be of Latino descent, over the age of 18, and have a high school diploma or GED/hiset. Interpreters in training will need to commit significant evening hours (approximately 10-12 per week) to study and class time through the summer and will need to have access to reliable transportation.”

For more information, please contact Dalia Rodriguez-Rojo at interpreter@centrohispanotn.org.