Language Line Services

http://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org

Limited English Speaking Patients Closer to Being Guaranteed Quality, Equitable Healthcare

Monday 12th of October 2009 10:54

The board will review other applications received and may appoint other members and will work to ensure all stakeholders are involved in the process.

"My colleagues and I are honored and excited to be selected to lead this historic endeavor that will guarantee competent medical interpretation in the United States and improve patient safety and quality of care for limited English speaking patients," said Dr. Eric Hardt, MD, of Boston Medical Center. "It is our mission to ensure that the certification process is credible, transparent, valid and inclusive, and protects the interest of all stakeholders that can be impacted by certification."

During their three-year term, the board members will be responsible for the policies and procedures related to the implementation of the certification program, which will adhere to the standards and requirements mandated by the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). They will also assume responsibility of overseeing the qualification and screening programs that are necessary to grant credentials to all working interpreters.

The inaugural members of the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters were chosen through an open and public process that invited all industry stakeholders to participate. Following a call for participation issued in June and again in July that invited interested individuals and organizations to apply to become board members, an independent selection committee, which included representatives from across the industry, spent more than two months reviewing applications and vetting potential candidates.

"Although there is still work to be done, with the rollout of additional languages in 2010, I am very pleased with progress we've made and thrilled that a single national certification standard was put in place in 2009," said Izabel Arocha, President of the International Medical Interpreters Association, one of the founders of the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters. "I am especially proud of the manner in which we selected the national board. The founders did not want to appoint board members; it had to be a process that was open to the public."

About the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters is a non-profit organization, formed from an independent group of industry professionals that represent all key stakeholder groups, including professional medical interpreters, trainers, employers, providers, and regulators. The National Board serves as the certifying entity and has independent authority over all essential certification decisions. The purpose of certification is to ensure LEP patient safety by evaluating and assuring the competency of medical interpreters. It will not be responsible for accreditation of educational or training programs or courses of study as per accreditation guidelines. The formation and structure of the National Board of Certification will adhere to the standards and requirements for certification program governance mandated by the National Organization for Competency Assurance. For more information, visit http://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org.

Media Contact:

Shawn Yanan / shawn.yanan@rbbpr.com / 305-962-1768

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Language Line Services

Source PR Newswire


www.prnewswire.co.uk

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