Language Line® University and IMIA Present:

“Patient Safety in Any Language II: The Case for National Medical Interpretation Certification”

MONTEREY, CA – (April 29, 2009) – Language Line® University and the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) present “Patient Safety in Any Language II: The Case for National Medical Interpretation Certification,” the second in a series of roundtable discussions on language access in healthcare settings.

The educational forum, which will be available via podcast at www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org is a collaboration of the IMIA, the oldest and largest interpreter association, and Language Line University, a globally recognized interpreter training and certification division of Language Line Services.

The following panelists addressed the medical interpreter profession itself and the need for a national certification standard for medical interpreters along with the steps being taken to accomplish this.

• Izabel Arocha, President of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA); and
  
• Louis Provenzano, President and Chief Operating Officer of Language Line Services

Several interpreters currently working in the field also participated in the podcast, sharing their experiences, asking questions about the current process for national certification for medical interpreters, and discussing how national medical interpretation certification will impact them.

“Patient Safety in Any Language II: The Case for National Medical Interpretation Certification” is a prelude to the Third Annual National Medical Interpretation Certification Forum taking place on May 1st in Denver, CO. 

Results from the National Job Analysis Survey, which was conducted earlier this year, will be shared at the forum. 

For more information, visit www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org.

A transcript of the “Patient Safety in Any Language II: The Case for National Medical Interpretation Certification” podcast, will be available at www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org.

About Language Line® University

Language Line University is the globally recognized interpreter training and certification subsidiary of Language Line Services, the leading provider of telephone interpreting and other language-based services. Language Line Services is a trusted partner to thousands of organizations whose focus is to effectively serve the rapidly expanding market of limited English speakers. The company delivers a dynamic suite of solutions spanning phone, on-site and video interpreting, translation, transcription, localization and localized software and devices and the only medical interpreter certification program that is externally validated. Through its leading-edge technology infrastructure, Language Line Services provides support for more than 175 languages, including American Sign Language and Mexican Sign Language to its industry-leading portfolio of clients across markets including healthcare, financial services, government, telecom, manufacturing, insurance, entertainment, travel, and more. For information on how Language Line Services is helping clients achieve their strategic multicultural marketing and regulatory compliance objectives, please call 1-800-752-6096.

About The International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA)

The International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) is committed to the advancement of professional medical interpreters as the best practice for equitable language access to health care for linguistically diverse patients worldwide. Founded in 1986, it is comprised of over 1,900 members, and is the oldest and largest medical interpreter association in the world. While representing medical interpreters as the ultimate experts in the medical interpreting field, associate membership to the IMIA is open to multidisciplinary groups interested in medical interpreting, language access, and international human rights in health care. IMIA (www.imiaweb.org) has divisions of providers, corporate members, trainers and interpreters in over 100 languages.