Week)

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center•Los Angeles, CA

22d•Onsite

About The Position

The ASL Clinical Interpreter facilitates communication between physicians, nurses, volunteers, non-clinical staff, patients, patients’ families, and the community. The role requires expertise and professionalism in interpreting techniques, with sensitivity to the age, developmental needs, health status, cultural backgrounds, and communication preferences of the patient populations served, including Deaf and hard-of-hearing people and people with limited English proficiency or who do not speak English. The interpreter serves and protects the hospital community by following professional standards, hospital policies and procedures, applicable laws, and accreditation requirements. This is a part-time position with benefits, requiring a minimum of 20 hours per week on a Monday–Friday day shift. Duties include interpreting in clinical settings, completing session documentation and statistics, providing written translations and staff education, and participating in service rounds, special projects, and office responsibilities. The interpreter also supports remote medical interpreting referrals or triage, serves as a resource to clinical teams, and contributes to quality-improvement efforts that strengthen language access, patient experience, and health equity.

Requirements

At least two years of experience as an ASL translator in a health care setting.
High school diploma or GED.
Strong interpreting and translation skills, sound judgment, discretion, and a high level of professionalism.
Ability to work effectively with patients, families, clinicians, volunteers, and non-clinical staff in an active hospital environment.
Flexible, collaborative approach and commitment to accurate, patient-centered communication.
Obtain Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) certification from NBCMI within one year of the start date.
Obtain Certified Healthcare Interpreter (CHI) certification from CCHI within one year of the start date.
Complete the Medical Center Interpreter Services Language Proficiency Assessment/Training Program within 90 days of employment.
Complete the Interpreter Training Program within 90 days of employment.

Nice To Haves

Hospital experience is preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in linguistics, foreign languages, translation and interpretation, communication, or a related field preferred.
National Interpreter Certification (NIC) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Interpret accurately and professionally between English and American Sign Language for patients, families, physicians, nurses, and other staff.
Protect confidentiality and safeguard patient interests while following professional standards, hospital policies, and applicable legal and accreditation requirements.
Interpret across clinical settings with sensitivity to patients’ age, developmental stage, health status, cultural background, and communication preferences.
Complete clear and timely session documentation and service statistics after interpreting encounters.
Provide written translations as needed, including patient education materials, instructions, letters, schedules, and questions from patients.
Serve as a clinical resource for physicians, nursing teams, and other staff seeking guidance on interpretation needs.
Provide appropriate referral or triage support for remote medical interpreting programs when indicated.
Participate in service rounds, special projects, office responsibilities, and other departmental activities.
Use independent judgment to solve problems, adapt to changing unit needs, and support a responsive patient experience.
Educate and train physicians, nurses, staff, volunteers, and learners on effective communication with Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients, interpreter best practices, and language-access requirements.
Contribute to quality-improvement initiatives and projects that strengthen language access, patient experience, and health equity.