CBC to offer new Spanish medical interpreter program

Many health care workers in the Tri-Cities — from doctors and nurses to those behind a clinic’s front counter — speak more than one language, industry officials and educators say.

And they are frequently called upon to help staff interact with patients who don’t speak English.

“I will always have new employees say they speak this language or that language,” said Trish Mendoza, patient relations manager with Trios Health.

But this doesn’t mean they’re always are prepared to interpret a complex doctor’s diagnosis or properly describe a course of treatment. That’s what is leading Columbia Basin College to offer a two-course sequence beginning this fall for those working in health care to become qualified Spanish medical interpreters.

“I just think it’s a win-win situation,” said Mary Hoerner, CBC’s dean of health sciences.

There are many languages spoken in the Tri-Cities, from Farsi and Mandarin to Thai and Russian, but Spanish is the most common after English. Many Spanish speakers have little or no speaking skills outside their primary language, creating a barrier to receive services such as health care, officials say.

The interpreter certification isn’t intended to teach Spanish to beginners; interested students will have to demonstrate fluency in English and Spanish to qualify. The program will seek to teach proper medical terminology and phrasing along with examining dialects and slang that can come up in conversational Spanish.

While the certification would help ensure Spanish-only speakers are receiving accurate information about their care, it’s also a boon for those who go through the program. Interpreter jobs are in high-demand, with an average pay rate of between $18 to $26 per hour which can supplement a full-time job or help cover costs as a part-time job while continuing school. Those who complete the program will be well prepared to test for state-level certification offered by the state Department of Social and Health Services, officials say.

“This is like an extra feather in their cap,” Hoerner said.

Interpreters in numerous languages are needed by Trios, which utilizes a telephonic language line and new video interpreting service to help communicate with non-English speaking patients. But Mendoza said she always encourages new multi-lingual employees to pursue interpreter training.

“There are times you really want someone in the room,” she said.

Tri-Cities Community Health, which maintains clinics throughout the Tri-Cities, prefers to hire health care providers who are bilingual, said spokesman Martín Valadez. But he said he could see employees for TCCH and other providers making good use of CBC’s latest program.

“I think it provides an added sort of training,” he told the Herald.

This story was originally published July 10, 2015 at 10:41 PM with the headline "CBC to offer new Spanish medical interpreter program."