IMIA • 800 Washington St. Box 271 • Boston, MA USA 02111-1845 • Tel + 1 617 636 1798 • Fax + 1 866 406 4642 • www.imiaweb.org

IMIA CONNECTICUT CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

November 10, 2011 Volume 1, Number 1

In This Issue • Our First Certified

Medical Interpreter George Narvaez

• IMIA Membership Benefits

• What Every Interpreter Needs to Know to Get Certified

• Get Together

LINKS IMIA

CTMHP

EASTERN CT AHEC

PROZ

Contact Us

IMIAConnecticut@imiaweb.org

Welcome!!!! This is our first monthly newsletter, every member is welcome to participate in the Connecticut Chapter newsletter, and let me know how I can help you. Marisa Gillio, QMI Connecticut Chapter Representative

Our First Certified Medical Interpreter: George Narvaez By Marisa Gillio, QMI, CT State Chapter Rep.

How did you learn about national medical interpreter certification? For many years, I had been hearing a lot about medical interpreting certification. It came to a point in which I began to think that certification would never come to a reality. I soon realized that the nationwide effort in making medical interpreting certification a reality was a huge task which took many years and overcame many hurtles.

Did you find the registration process cumbersome or difficult? I found the registration process pretty much straightforward. It is designed in a way in which you can complete the process on a step-by-step mode making a huge process much simple and faster. What do you most love about the medical interpreting profession? I love helping others in need. I have been a patient myself for the majority part of my life and have experienced many of the difficulties patients with limited English proficiency encounter. I remember vividly when my mother, who has limited English proficiency, took me to my doctor’s appointment and on many occasions was not able to communicate with the doctor due to a lack of a well-trained interpreter. What do you most love about the medical interpreting profession?

I love to have the opportunity to help people in need. By people in need, I not only refer to patients, but also providers. Interpreters help make the medical provider’s job much smoother, which in turn help patient receive the medical care they need.

How did your teaching degree help with your interpreting work? I don’t have a teaching degree, per se. I am a Connecticut certified adult educator and have been teaching English to speakers of other languages for the past eight years. My first bachelor degree is in Business Administration with a focus in Managerial Economics. My second bachelor is in Individualized Studies with a focus on Language Studies. I am now completing my capstone course which completes my Master of Arts in Humanities program. In regards on how my studies helped me in professional interpreting, many of the electives courses I took has helped me in different area of my work. For example, I remember my freshman year when I took a course in theological studies. This course taught me a lot about cultural diversity.

IMIA • 800 Washington St. Box 271 • Boston, MA USA 02111-1845 • Tel + 1 617 636 1798 • Fax + 1 866 406 4642 • www.imiaweb.org

What did you least like about it? I have always been a person who sees a glass half-full. So I can’t really say there is something I least like about interpreting. However, there are challenging aspects to this job when it involves interpreting in a family meeting in which the clinical prognosis is poor. Interpreters do need to prepare themselves psychologically to relay bad news balancing information accuracy and emotional respect. What was your experience like in taking the written exam? One important lesson I learned in taking the written exam is that reading skills are very important. Being a multiple-choice test, candidates must read accurately every answer to ensure the answer is the most appropriate and obviously correct. Did you feel the administration process was neutral and secure? The material presented in the testing process was neutral and unbiased. Test security was exceptional and fast. Did you feel the National Board Written Certification Exam is fair? The written exam is fair and also accurate. By accurate I mean it covered all the material it indicated it would be covered in a logical and cohesive manner. Did you feel the National Board Oral Certification Exam is fair? The overall process of the oral certification is very fair. Today, the use of technology is unavoidable in testing administration. However, in the future I would advise the use of experienced interpreters as proctors in oral examinations. What would you say to other medical interpreters who consider becoming certified? Study hard and prepare yourself well. Don’t study only interpreting skills and medical terminology. Read a lot from related areas in academia, such as: cultural anthropology, sociology of medicine, human relations, and so forth. Keep in mind that interpreting is a service program and not a business. Have said this, costumer service skills are vital in the practice of our profession. How does it feel to be a pioneer for the field? I don’t really see myself as a pioneer in the field. At Yale-New Haven Hospital, we had a volunteer, the late Ms. Luisa McCann, who interpreted for our patients for over thirty years. She’s a true pioneer in the field of medical interpreting. I see myself as someone who is continuing the work that many pioneers began back in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

IMIA Membership benefits include: • Advocacy at a national and international level for recognition and betterment of the medical interpreters

• Complimentary copy of the Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice and other publications

• Profile and search function in International Registry of Interpreters

• Email notifications of job and training opportunities

• Ample opportunities for networking

• Discount at Annual International Conference (second weekend of October – Columbus Day weekend)

• Participation in client education initiatives

• Monthly international news bulletin and website updates

• Trainer’s Circle - Monthly Conference Calls

• Provider Meetings on Language Access

• Corporate bimonthly conference calls

• Annual Job Fair

• Annual Salary Survey

IMIA • 800 Washington St. Box 271 • Boston, MA USA 02111-1845 • Tel + 1 617 636 1798 • Fax + 1 866 406 4642 • www.imiaweb.org

What every Interpreter needs to know to get certified This is the second open call in an ongoing series of informational forums to provide updates and information to interpreters, stakeholders and the industry at large. All are invited and welcome to participate! Topic: What Every Interpreter Needs to Know to Get Certified Speaker: Elena Langdon, MA, CT, Secretary, The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010 Time: 9:00 a.m. Pacific / 10:00 a.m. Mountain / 11:00 a.m. Central / 12:00 p.m. EST Duration: 1 hour To access Audio portion of the meeting: USA Toll-Free: (877) 336-1839 ACCESS CODE: 6248587 To access the Web portion of the meeting: Web Meeting Address: https://www.webmeeting.att.com Meeting Number(s): (877)336-1839 ACCESS CODE: 6248587 We recommend that you dial in 5 minutes early to avoid issues. The call will be muted to participants to prevent audio issues or background noise. If you have questions in advance you can also submit them to info@certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org.

Get together... Through a conference call, I propose to get in contact and start to work together and participate in the Connecticut Language Access issues. I'll talk to you soon.... If we're going to share a screen. We'll send you a link to be connected.

Our first Meeting will be: November 11 at 6:30 pm EST Meeting Number: 712-432-0900 Access code: 634546 Thank you!!! Marisa Gillio, QMI Connecticut Chapter Representative IMIAConnecticut@imiaweb.org

IMIA • 800 Washington St. Box 271 • Boston, MA USA 02111-1845 • Tel + 1 617 636 1798 • Fax + 1 866 406 4642 • www.imiaweb.org