Interpreter, PRN

UofL Health•Louisville, KY

9d•Onsite

About The Position

About UofL Health: UofL Health is a fully integrated regional academic health system with five hospitals, four medical centers, nearly 200 physician practice locations, more than 700 providers, the Frazier Rehab Institute and Brown Cancer Center. With more than 12,000 team members—physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly skilled health care professionals—UofL Health is focused on one mission: delivering patient-centered care to each and every patient each and every day. Position Summary and Purpose This position will provide spoken-language interpreter services for patients, families, staff, visitors, physicians, and others regarding consents, medical treatments, discharges, instructions, and other concerns as needed. The interpreter in this position will accurately and completely convey information between patient and provider; manage the flow of communication; facilitate rapport between the provider and patient; recognize and address clarifications both cultural and in language to ensure accurate and complete understanding. These duties enable patients and families to effectively communicate which allows UofL Health to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Other duties include assisting the manager in problem-solving with patient and family communication needs and proactively identifying opportunities for improving services to our limited-English proficient (LEP)/Deaf/ Hard of Hearing (HOH) patient and family population.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED/equivalent (required)
Successful completion of hospital approved interpretation training program, such as Bridging the Gap, 40 hours minimum (required)
Documentation of successful completion of a hospital approved language proficiency assessment (required)
Prior experience in medical interpretation (required)
Must be able to clearly communicate instructions, questions, and answers in both English and target language based on the patient, family member, or employee’s preferred language
Knowledge of medical terminology

Nice To Haves

Associates or Bachelor’s degree in a social science field or language (preferred)
Minimum two (2) years of experience in medical interpretation (preferred)
Successful completion of a nationally recognized certification process such as CMI (National Board of Medical Interpreters) or CHI (Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters) national certification (preferred)
Ability to break down problems or tasks; using own knowledge and experience to identify causes and consequences of events for future solutions
Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Outlook, as well as other internal systems
Must have the capacity to learn other relevant systems and databases, as needed

Responsibilities

Performs spoken language interpretation for LEP patients, families, staff and visitors; interpreted information includes, but is not limited to, giving directions and instructions for medical care, explaining hospital policies and procedures, informing and obtaining medical consents, and providing other verbal interpretation as needed to ensure a positive patient and family experience; communicates effectively with persons from various educational and socio-economic backgrounds
Follows and adheres to national interpreter standards of practice and ethical codes of conduct
Serves as cultural broker to educate and provide clarification to hospital staff, physicians, clinicians and patients/families on differences between LEP community culture and culture of medicine
May be asked to assist in translation and/or editing both medical and non-medical hospital documentation from English to target language (may on occasion need to translate from target language to English), as directed by manager
Educates hospital staff, physicians and clinicians on the importance of using interpretation and translations services, when needed, including the proper use of over-the-phone, video remote and in-person interpreters, as well as accessing translated forms and/or other auxiliary aids
Makes recommendations as appropriate for additional language assistance and corresponding programs, marketing, and services
Ensures that patients and families understand the information presented, seeking assistance and clarification when needed; acts as an advocate for patients and ensure that they are comfortable with what is happening in their medical treatment and that anxiety is reduced
Appropriately and regularly documents time spent interpreting during encounters as directed by manager
Rounds on LEP/Deaf/HOH inpatients, as needed, to confirm patient language needs and identify safety issues
Assists admissions staff, medical staff, and ancillary services in gathering background information on patients, as needed, including rounding on patients who are LEP/deaf/HOH
Investigates and problem-solves communication issues for LEP persons
May be asked to conduct, prepare, assist or participate in internal medical interpretation and translation classes and/or other educational programs to enhance cultural competency and language services compliance of the general hospital population
Travels, as needed, to other locations within UofL Health
Maintains positive working relationships with staff and physicians, including manager and fellow interpreters
Maintains a professional presence with patients and families; does not speak for or about patients and families but facilitates the conversation between them and their care team
Remains current on the latest developments, advancements, and trends in the field of language assistance/interpretation/translation and incorporates appropriate ideas into a clinical setting
Maintains knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, etc. that impact language assistance and ensure compliance in all areas
Acquires continuing education credits of at least four (4) hours per year or the amount required for national certification renewal, if applicable
Maintains compliance with all company policies, procedures and standards of conduct
Complies with HIPAA privacy and security requirements to maintain confidentiality at all times
Performs other duties as assigned
Demonstrates a commitment to service, organization values and professionalism through appropriate conduct and demeanor at all times
Maintains confidentiality and protects sensitive data at all times
Adheres to organizational and department specific safety standards and guidelines
Works collaboratively and supports efforts of team members
Demonstrates exceptional customer service and interacts effectively with physicians, patients, residents, visitors, staff and the broader health care community