When the patient or family members are bilingual, it might not be immediately apparent to the medical team if an interpreter is needed or not. As a medical interpreter, you might find yourself in this situation, too, if you are ever in need of medical care. As it turns out, sometimes an interpreter is truly not required.
I Don't Need an Interpreter (Part 3)
Sometimes the interpreter's champion is an unlikely or unexpected person. It's always nice when a member of the medical team understands how important your role is!
I Don't Need an Interpreter (Part 2)
Sometimes family members of the patient don’t want interpreters, especially if they feel prepared to do the interpreting. That perspective can change once they discover that their skill levels don't meet the needs of the encounter.
I Don't Need an Interpreter (Part 1)
Understanding that a medical interpreter is a needed asset in the medical encounter with a language barrier is something that is still up for debate. While we in the profession understand that importance, it's not always clear to the medical staff.
Healthcare Interpreters, Please Stop Listening
The profession of Medical Interpreter is so much more than just speaking another language. It's about making an encounter be as if there isn't a language barrier at all. Get inspired by Erin Rosales in this blog that talks about just that.
The Truth About Interpreting: A Father's Journey for Peace
Interpreters are only as successful as the people around them. See how non-interpreters helped a man find peace with language services.
How Neutrality Killed Impartiality
Working with people gives interpreters all sorts of opportunities to form opinions based on what we see. Sometimes we encounter exchanges or treatments that we don’t agree with personally.
Interpreter Certification, Why Bother?
Excerpt: Healthcare and Medical Interpreter certification has existed in the United States for several years. Is it worth pursuing? This article explores one angle interpreters should consider when answering that question for themselves.
Show Me the Money! Healthcare's Guide to Buying Language Services
Money talks and it is the pathway to success for health care and all medical interpreters. Learn how standards, consistency and efficiency in operations can have healthcare showing you the money!
How a Friday Night Fish Fry Changed My Life
I never thought working at a super club would change my life, but in so many ways it did. It became the catalyst for the design of my scheduling department. How can we effectively run a business if we don't look at the big picture, all the while keeping our customers happy and our interpreters busy.
Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace: How Consistency Can Save Interpreting
Consistency in any service, from a grocery store, to banks, to the doctor office, needs to be a consistent system. If Google marries Siri, will that fix all the variables for a consistent experience where ever you go? Let's hope that isn't the answer.
That's Not My Job... Or is it? Defining a Role That Matters in Healthcare
Defining the medical interpreter job can be tricky. If interpreters and their champions can't define the role, how will healthcare ever value it?
Defining the Language Services Buyer
Compliance, Risk Management, Pastoral Services, Facilities Management: Who buys Language Services?
Language services is number 367 on the to-do list for most buyers. Take the guess work out of buying and see how to make interpreting services work for your organization.
Squinting, Hummingbird, Scab, Treasure: A Linguistic Journey into Medical Interpreting
Are you a word wizard that occasionally gets stuck on the most mundane words? Interpreters work through this every day and can challenge the most powerful wizards of all!
Looking to Learn a New Language?
While on the hunt to learn a new language, I found a new App called Duolingo. Read about my experience using the app, and what I feel are some pros and cons. And maybe get inspired to learn a new language, too!