Spanish Medical Interpreter | Part-Time | Arthur M. Blank Hospital

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta•Atlanta, GA

43d•Onsite

About The Position

To facilitate communication between Limited English Proficiency speakers, deaf, or hard of hearing patients and families, and medical center staff by providing accurate, comprehensive, and professional medical interpreting services in-person or by phone or video remote. To provide quality translations of medical documents and other written materials as assigned by the department’s leadership and to ensure that translations are consistent with Children’s accepted language and terminology policies. To support department and team member development. To proactively support efforts that ensures delivery of safe patient care and services and a safe environment at Children’s.

Requirements

Minimum of 4 years of experience as an Interpreter in a healthcare or health related setting required
Experience interpreting for a multi-disciplinary provider team
Experience with relay interpreting for Mayan<>Spanish<>English encounters, or other such language triads as it relates to the language pair being hired for. Example: CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter) <>Sign Language Interpreter<> Spoken English
Experience interpreting not only encounters with high level of medical jargon and register, but also in other high acuity and high stakes conversation topics and settings like traumas, behavioral/mental health screenings, de-escalation of care, and others
Medical and/or Healthcare National Interpreter Certification required (CCHI, NBCMI, or RID)
Must demonstrate proof of certification from the National Board of Certification as a Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) or from the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters as a Certified Healthcare Interpreter (CHI)
Understands and verbalizes medical terminology and disease processes in English and target language
Demonstrates proficiency in both English and target language required
Understands the socio-political and linguistic disadvantages of patient populations that impact communication and their understanding of medical care
Knowledgeable of cultural advocacy to address dialectal difference, cultural beliefs and practices, and social norms related to healthcare decisions, within the boundaries of the medical interpreter
Knowledgeable and able to advocate on behalf of patients and their caregivers/representatives on issues of language justice such as: universal rights of children, preventing suffering and re-traumatization through the provision of language access resources, and cultural and linguistic beliefs and practices of refugee populations
Problem solving skills with an ability to prioritize multiple projects
Meets project deadlines
Able to convert written material from source language into target language (translation)
Knowledge of plain language/health literacy for translating medical information
Collaborative communication skills, positive attitude, and ability to work well in a team

Nice To Haves

Pediatric experience preferred
Experience with written translation preferred
Experience with SDL Trados TeamsTM or any other ‘Translation Memory’ software preferred
Must pass the medical interpreters skills assessment administered by a third party such as ALTA or another Children’s approved medical interpreting certifying body
Bachelor’s degree in Interpretation/Translation or a related field from an accredited institution preferred
Training or Certificate in Interpretation/Translation or a related field from an accredited institution or program preferred within 30 days of hire. (Minimum 40 hours preferred, i.e., Bridging the Gap, GA Perimeter College, etc.)
For Sign Language Interpreters Only: Certified member of The Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) via National Interpreter Certification (NIC) or credentialed by the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) any other RID recognized certification, preferred

Responsibilities

Facilitates communication between patient/family and provider by rendering accurate and complete interpretation of the message.
Adheres to generally accepted interpreter ethics principles such as NCIHC's National Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Health Care, IMIA's Code of Ethics, and RID's Code of Professional Conduct.
Supports performance improvement goals by successfully recording patient/family interpreted encounters on a consistent basis.
Interprets information at the patient/family’s level of understanding, recognizing non-verbal communication and cultural patterns, recognizing, and using appropriate interventions regarding health literacy.
Effectively transitions from 1st person interpreting to 3rd person interpreting when needed to provide a social and developmentally appropriate interpretation.
Recognizes the complexity of the clinical encounter and language barrier by identifying cues regarding level of understanding and/or need for clarification.
Employs clarification techniques to improve understanding of meaning in relation to cultural, social, and linguistic differences of the message.
Sets tone of the encounter to manage spatial configuration and flow of communication to preserve accuracy and completeness, and to assess and address potential areas of discomfort for patient (age, gender of interpreter, no previous experience with interpreters).
Understands and adapts interpretation seamlessly for meaning, context, situational, and developmental levels of understanding by all parties in the interpreted encounter.
Sensitive to non-verbal communication cues that are imperative to effective transmission of the message and transmits them to the providers in the interpreted encounter.
Uses culturally appropriate behavior and be able to choose the appropriate time to clarify or interject by respecting the goals of the encounter while respecting own personal values, beliefs, and cultural characteristics.
Proficient cultural advocate, addressing dialectal difference, cultural beliefs and practices, and social norms related to healthcare decisions, within the boundaries of the medical interpreter.
Provides translation services, effectively writing in English and target language for discharge instructions, other ad hoc patient-specific information, and translation projects as assigned.
Follows quality standards in translations as determined by the department.
Logs translation projects in the project management tool.
Utilizes the departmental editorial process to assure high quality translations.
Collaborates and communicates effectively with Supervisor and team to promote an environment of innovation and problem solving.
Participates in project development.
Coaches, trains, and/or mentors others, formally or informally.
Participates in the evaluation of improvement initiatives and activities.
Completes annual clinical competencies as assigned.
Participates in continuous learning to enhance professional growth.