certification of healthcare interpreters – contributing to

Certification of Healthcare Interpreters – Contributing to Quality Care, Patient Safety, and Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate

Health Care

Karin Ruschke CCHI Commissioner March 12, 2013

www.healthcareinterpretercertification.org

NCCA-Accredited Certification Program

CCHI is the first organization certifying healthcare interpreters to receive NCCA accreditation (June 2012)

NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies) is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. NCCA has been accrediting certifying programs based on the highest quality standards in professional certification to ensure the programs adhere to modern standards of practice in the certification industry.

A National, Valid, Credible, Vendor-Neutral Certification Program


• National – A portable credential that follows the Interpreter throughout their career

• Valid – The single most important concept – the certification test measures what it intends to measure

• Credible – Created by Interpreters, for Interpreters and the public good

• Vendor-Neutral – Developed from the ground up and not reliant on any existing certification, training, testing or assessment developed or licensed by other organizations. No individual, organization, vendor or entity has any financial or other stake in the program's administration

CCHI Commissioners Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, University of WI Hospital & Clinics

Wayne Boatwright, Meridian Health

Frederick Bw’Ombongi, Spectrum Health

Kathleen K. Diamond, Association of Language Companies

Gabriela Flores, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics

Catherine Ingold, National Foreign Language Center

Jonathan Levy, CyraCom

Alejandro Maldonado, MN Dept. of Human Services

Natalya Mytareva, International Institute of Akron

Elizabeth Nguyen, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Virginia Pérez-Santallá, American Translators Association

Karin Ruschke, International Language Services

Mara Youdelman, National Health Law Program

Policy, Industry Stakeholders & Certification Expert Advisors

• Susan Abramson, APHA • Tricia Barrett, NCQA • Ignatius Bau, Consultant • Jeff Caballero, AAPCHO • Rita Carreón, AHIP • Kathleen Curren, CHA • Carola Green, NCSC • Javier González, NYU CIH • Tanya Lopez, AMA • Michael Martin, ICE • Holly Mikkelson, MIIS

• Edward Martinez, NAPH • Ann Morse, NCSL • Guadalupe Pacheco, OMH • Ellen Pryga, AHA • Elena Rios, NHMA • Laurie Swabey, CATIE/RID • Gayle Tang, Kaiser

Permanente • Ho Tran, NCAPIP • Lois Wessel, ACU • Amy Wilson-Stronks,

Consultant


Supporters

NOTE: The participation by supporters does not constitute ultimate endorsement of CCHI’s certification program.

Our Accomplishments

By Interpreters, For Interpreters and the Public Good

• 13 Commissioners • 20 Advisors • 50 Supporters • 1 Million $$ Raised to Launch and Grow • 2479 JTA Participants • 100 Test Development Volunteers (SMEs) • 742 AHI ™ and CHI ™ Credentials Awarded

CCHI Community

• 3540 Unique Visitors to Website Each Month • 4500 Subscribers to Monthly Newsletter • 2163 Interpreters Registered in CMS • 1654 Applications Submitted • 742 AHI ™ and CHI ™ Credentials Awarded

Benefits of Certification for Healthcare Employers of Interpreters

Helps fulfill standards and elements of performance critical in accreditation settings

Ensures consistency of practices and procedures among healthcare interpreters across the healthcare field

Facilitates management of interpreter services

Supports risk management

CCHI Current Credentials


Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ Credential (AHI™) available to all interpreters except Spanish-,

Arabic- and Mandarin-speaking interpreters Certified Healthcare Interpreter™

Certification (CHI™) currently available to Spanish-, Arabic - and

Mandarin-speaking interpreters Vietnamese and Russian exams in process of

development

What Is the Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ (AHI™) Credential?


Available to interpreters in ALL languages

Entry point into professional certification

Two-hour, Computer-Based, 100 Question, Multiple Choice Exam in English

Tests the basic knowledge of healthcare interpreting

Preliminary results are immediate at test center (passing score 450 points out of 600)

Credential awarded upon successful completion of the written examination (except for interpreters who are eligible for CHI™)

The AHI™ Examination


Managing an Interpreting Encounter 30% - 35%

Healthcare Terminology 22% - 25%

Interacting w/ Other Healthcare Professionals 20% - 24%

Preparing for an Interpreting Encounter 16% - 20%

Demonstrating Cultural Responsiveness 3% - 6%

The AHI™ Examination: Manage an Interpreting Encounter


Maintain ethical

standards in the encounter

Introduce yourself to the parties

according to protocols

Explain rules of

confidentiality to the patient

Position self to manage room dynamics and

support communication

The AHI™ Examination: Interacting with Other Healthcare

Professionals


Instruct healthcare providers in how to

work with interpreters and LEP patients

Assist patients in navigating the

healthcare system

Debrief with clinicians or other

interpreters

The AHI™ Examination: Preparing for an Interpreting Encounter


Assess need for personal protective

gear and/or universal

precautions

Confirm dialect or regional language

issues

Determine your ability to

interpret a healthcare encounter

The AHI™ Practice Test


Available for purchase on line (on CCHI’s Home page, click “Practice Test” button on the right)

Cost - $30

Test interface and questions are similar to the actual examination

Consists of 27 questions, gives correct answers and references for them

What is the Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ (CHI™) Certification?


Currently available in Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin; Vietnamese and Russian in development

Tests the basics of healthcare interpreting plus interpreting skills & abilities

AHI™ examination + computer-based oral performance (CHI™) examination (takes 1 hour to complete)

Administered at a test center during 4 testing windows

The CHI™ Examination


1. Knowledge required of healthcare interpreters (same as AHI™ credential)

2. Interpreting in a healthcare environment: accurately and completely within a cultural and environmental context:

• Interpret consecutively 75-80% • Interpret simultaneously 10-15% • Sight translate and translate

healthcare documents 10-15%

The CHI™ Examination: Why are Simultaneous Interpreting

Skills Important?


ER Emotionally

charged situations

Mental health encounters

CHI™ Exam Components

• 4 consecutive interpreting vignettes (bi-directional, English to/from L2)

• 2 simultaneous vignettes (unidirectional, one L2 and one English)

• 3 brief sight translation passages from documents that healthcare interpreters might encounter to sight translate into L2

• Testing of translation skills from English to L2


Eligibility

• 18 years of age

• U.S. High School Diploma or its equivalent

• Language proficiency in English and target language

• Completion of a minimum of 40 hours in healthcare interpreter training


Fees Application: $30 (non-refundable) AHI™: $175 CHI™: $250

– $455 total for Spanish-, Mandarin-, Arabic- speaking interpreters

– $205 for all other interpreters

– All fees are non-refundable

– Volume discounts are available for organizations purchasing 10 or more exams

This is for one examination administration


Credential/Certification Maintenance

CHI™ certification and AHI™ credential are valid for 4 years

Maintenance Requirements 32 hours total Continuing Education = 16

hours (classroom or contact) in years 1 & 2, 16 hours in years 3 & 4 40 hours of work experience = 20 hours

in years 1 & 2, 20 hours in years 3 & 4


What’s New! Continuing Education Accreditation Program (CEAP) – will

identify (on behalf of all interpreters) quality training programs. CCHI formed Education Provider Advisory Council, which includes major stakeholders, to develop policies and procedures for the CEAP.

Outreach Committee – The need for your leadership and commitment to the entire field of healthcare interpreting remains, and we invite you to join us because your talents and expertise are critical to ensuring we continue to get it right.

Interpreter Registry – in 2013, it will be searchable not only by name, but also by language and state. Credentialed interpreters will be able to opt in to display their email address in the search results (i.e. generate more business for yourselves)

https://cchi.learningbuilder.com (or on our website under CCHI Interpreters tab, Interpreter Registry)


Important Dates


2013 Testing Windows for CHI™: April 8 - April 27, 2013 July 15 - August 3, 2013 October 21 - November 9, 2013

Important Dates (cont)


2013 Educational Webinars April 19, 2013, 12:00 - 1:00 pm EST

CCHI’s Interpreter Registry and Interpreter’s Professional Profile

June 21, 2013, 12:00 - 1:00 pm EST CCHI’s Continuing Education Accreditation

Program: Nuts and Bolts for Trainers

Sept. 27, 2013, 12:00 - 1:00 pm EST How to Prepare for CCHI exams

Get Involved ! ! ! Join the CCHI community and conversation

on our website

Become a supporter of the development of this certification program

Sign up for our monthly newsletter

Volunteer with CCHI to develop and encourage community building with social media skills

Watch for upcoming CCHI webinars


Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters

www.healthcareinterpretercertification.org [email protected]

http://www.healthcareinterpretercertification.org/

mailto:[email protected]

certification of healthcare interpreters – contributing to

Documents