Massachusetts Medical

Interpreters Association

N E W S Winter 2004 ∙Volume 1

CONTENTS ►Seventh Annual National Confrerence. ►FOCIS FORMS STATEWIDE FORUM, Develops Assessment Tool by:

Mary Margaret Franclemont ►CCCS, Job Position Advertisement ►”Espiritismo”, by Sonia Falcos. ► Medical Interpreter Need and Utilization

Assessment. ► Heartbreak in Honduras, by:

Alison MacAdam ► MMIA-Newsletter Committee. ► Medical Interpreter Training Program ►ATA, Portuguese Language

Announcement ►MMIA, Board of Directors.

Our Seventh Annual National Conference on Medical Interpreting at Harvard Medical School. There were over 450 members and non-members participants, from 28 different states, as well as from Canada and Europe (England & Belgium).

FOCIS FORMS STATEWIDE FORUM,

DEVELOPS ASSESSMENT TOOL The Forum of Coordinators of Interpreter Services (FOCIS) developed from an initiative of Caritas Christi Health Care

(CCHC), the second largest health care system in New England. As a system, the Coordinators of Interpreter Services from all six hospitals were meeting monthly to work collaboratively on interpreter issues and to share resources. The group was approached by Interpreter Service Coordinators from other hospitals that wanted to participate. CCHC recognized the need to develop a separate venue for Coordinators of Interpreter Services and decided to initiate this process by establishing FOCIS.

Where MMIA provides a valuable resource for medical interpreters to discuss issues related to medical interpreting, especially from the interpreter’s perspective, FOCIS provides a venue for Coordinators of Interpreter Services. Coordinators discuss daily operational issues related to running an interpreter services program. It is hoped that FOCIS will serve as a resource, maybe even as a model, for other states to follow and for more Coordinators to join.

Tim Moriarty, at BayState Medical Center in Springfield, shared the following, “I feel that our hospital is now much more connected with what is occurring statewide in terms of medical interpreting. I have been able to see how well our department runs compared to other hospitals’ and find areas where we can improve. Our department and hospital now have access to many experienced Coordinators who can answer just about any questions I may have. I also feel like the Coordinators who are participating are helping to set the standards for the future, helping other Coordinators/ Managers within and outside the state.”

Although FOCIS developed from a CCHC initiative, it has grown organically. As a joint venture, it has evolved into a true collaborative effort. FOCIS members meet bimonthly at different hospitals across the state. To date, FOCIS has met 5 times. Issues considered include sharing resources and methods, interviewing freelancers, managing interpreter services programs, defining patient encounters, and developing a basic assessment tool. As outlined by member Gregory Figaro of CultureSmart, “FOCIS is the perfect way to exchange resources, to address challenges, and to network with peers. In return, I can share my expertise in interpreter training and testing.” Allen So of Quincy Medical Center said, “At the beginning I joined FOCIS because of my job. I realize that FOCIS gives me a chance to network and to improve my knowledge about how interpreter services are working around the area.”

MMIA President, Joy Connell; Keynote Speaker, Julia Puebla Fortier, Director, Resources forCross Cultural Health Care; Hans Verrept of Brussels, Belgium; Maria E. Calderon, MMIA member, and John Nickrosz, Former MMIA President.

The first meeting was hosted by Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center in January 2003. Interpreter Service Coordinators from across the state were invited. The meeting had been announced at both the Department of Mental Health training in Waltham and during the MMIA Conference in October 2002. All were invited to add their names and contact information to a mailing list circulated at both meetings. More than 40 Coordinators, representing over 30 different medical centers, attended the January meeting. Maria Mello of Caritas Norwood Hospital reported, “Our first meeting was very informative. It was a place to share ideas on many topics, including the hiring process in other hospitals, and how to become more cost effective without hurting the quality of our services.” At that meeting participants approved the following:

• This type of meeting should continue, as it would be beneficial on both educational and cost-savings bases.

• This forum is the right venue for sharing resources, networking, implementing joint projects, and discussing the challenges of interpreter programs.

• The group will collect compensation data and distribute results to members.

• Participants will establish a FOCIS membership agreement that delineates guidelines for participation and protects the integrity of materials.

• Carla Fogaren, RN, Director of Community Outreach and Interpreter Services at

Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center, is nominated as principal facilitator for FOCIS meetings.

In the short time since the group’s inception, much has been accomplished -- the most significant being the development and statewide acceptance of a Basic Standardized Interpreter Assessment. This tool will be used by all FOCIS member organizations for assessing basic proficiency of medical interpreters and for recommending freelance interpreters with a confidence in their basic ability. The test assesses oral proficiency, medical terminology, ethics, and practices. This tool is designed to reduce the amount of time and effort spent by FOCIS members and prospective interpreters in repetitive testing and assessing at different facilities.

Augustus White, III, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School, given the Welcome Speech at the conference.

Fernando da Silva, Coordinator at Morton Hospital and Medical Center, said about the Standardized Interpreter Assessment, “This Assessment is one of the best tools that has come out of the FOCIS collaboration. It will aid all member hospitals in hiring new employees and freelance interpreters – especially in languages that are new to our communities. [The test ensures] that we are all on the same wavelength, no matter the size of the institution or the location in the state.”

The Basic Standardized Interpreter Assessment includes written, aural, and oral components. The oral component may be recorded by the administering FOCIS member organization, and all components may be sent to and reviewed by an agreed-upon appropriate third party in order to assess language proficiency. Results will be shared with FOCIS member organizations only with written permission from the interpreter candidate.

Ideas for the test were submitted by several FOCIS members to the subcommittee organized to develop the assessment. The subcommittee includes Carla Fogaren, Mary Margaret Franclemont, Natalia Konarski, and Maria Lopes-Garvey. It is understood that the Assessment Tool does not in any manner imply or ensure employment at any of the FOCIS member organizations, nor will the results of the assessment be considered a recommendation for employment. Each FOCIS member facility will act independently in hiring interpreters

according to individual policies and needs. FOCIS is currently developing the test to assess over 20 different languages. The Basic Standardized Interpreter Assessment will be of great value in the interim until MMIA certification is finalized. At the 2003

MMIA Conference in October, members discussed elements of the Assessment Tool and presented general objectives of the group. FOCIS members also are members of MMIA and work with MMIA to supplement its growth and resources for medical interpreter programs. In fact, MMIA plans to develop and host a website for FOCIS member organizations. “I would like to see the group continue networking and sharing resources. Also, the future development of the website for Coordinators will be of great value to us,” explains Liliana Zagaria of Lawrence General Hospital.”

Testing of Portuguese interpreters will be held on February 26, 2004, from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, at Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton.

Testing of Spanish interpreters will be held on March 25, 2004, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham. For more information about FOCIS or to register for testing, please call 508-427-3580.

Mary Margaret Franclemont Raquel Santander-Nelson November 2003

Translation Services Coordinator

JOB DESCRIPTION

Translation Services Coordinator

Status: Fulltime Employee Pay Schedule: $25,000 per year + benefits

Requirements: • Excellent organizational skills • Effective communicator • Self-motivator with ability to collaborate in a team environment • Fluent in English and at least one target language • Prior professional experience in translation or linguistics • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office for PC • Flexible, willing to adjust work schedule to department needs • Reliable and punctual • College degree or equivalent experience

RESPONSIBILITIES: Coordinate the following areas pertaining to translation: • Assessment and estimation • Pricing and negotiation • Assignment and follow-up • Quality control and delivery • Billing and translator payments • Marketing • Translator Recruitment and Training

Other responsibilities include: • Check email and phone messages on an hourly basis on work days, promptly follow through with client and

translator contacts • Report to CCCS, Inc. Supervisor as requested • Attend all scheduled meetings, as requested by CCCS, Inc. • Assist CCCS, Inc. with other programs when necessary

CCCS, Inc. January 2004

“Espiritismo”- Origin, controversies and correlation with established Brazilian health care.

By: Sonia R. Falcos

Brazil has been, since its discovery in the year 1500, a country where different kind of religions are practiced side by side, or even simultaneously, without any conflict.

In order to understand such a phenomenon and shade some light on it, we have to recall some historical facts.

When the Portuguese arrived in Brazil, they found about four million natives on the land. These natives were divided into different tribes, each one practicing their particular form of religion. The Portuguese explorers, and the Jesuit priests that came with them, completely ignored the native culture and religion and tried with great passion to attain their conversion to Catholicism.

When in 1560, an epidemic, probably of smallpox, killed a great number of indigenous people, the Portuguese started to use African slaves as agricultural laborers and the same process of conversion and prohibition on the practice of other religions occurred.

In order to cope with the “status quo”, the Africans decided to give names of Catholic saints to their own deities in order to continue practicing their own religion in a hidden away, calling for example, Iemanja, the goddess of the sea in Umbanda1, Saint Barbara.

Since that time, both whites and blacks, in Brazil have been embracing two different religions with no apparent feeling of conflict or ambiguity.

With that in mind, we can now begin to talk about the origins of “Espiritismo” in Brazil and the religion itself. Reincarnation, one of the fundamental points that differentiate “Espiritismo” from other Christian religions can be traced

to the works of ancient Greek writers like Plato and Socrates. The theory of knowledge as recollection, the immortality of the soul, the tripartite division of the soul, and the theory of forms or ideas are all described by Plato first and them all repeated in the works that compound “Espiritismo”.

The religion itself though, did not take shape until the end of the last century when “The Spirit Book” was published for the first time on April 18, 1857. The world had already been prepared to the idea of the invisible world since the “turning table” and other animistic phenomenon were very popular at the turn of the century.

At that time, in France, a teacher and writer of educational material, named Leon Hyppolyte Rivail, at the invitation of a friend, attended a session where a girl using the method of psychography2 communicated with spirits. He got very impressed with the deepness of the material taking into account the girl’s age and lack of intellectual background. The messages conveyed were of very serious nature and very diverse in subjects. He then started to draw up questions and received very satisfying answers about all aspects of life.

After a year of intense work, he decided to publish all the material he had gathered in a book using the penname of Allan Kardec. This book and others that followed3 made their way to Brazil through a translation into Portuguese made by a man of French background named Guillon Ribeiro.

The success of “Espiritismo” may be due to the fact that the ground had already been sown by the contact with spiritualism provided by the African religions. The truth is that the religion spread and became more popular in Brazil than in its country of origin- France. Since “Espiritismo” is considered a religion, a science and a philosophy, it is very common in Brazil, to find people visiting both a Catholic church and a spiritualist temple without a second thought of the contradiction involved.

The same occurs when feeling ill a person goes to see a doctor that should take care of his/her body and a “medium” that should take care of the spiritual part of the problem. For a follower of “Espiritismo”, the body and spirit are not dissociated but complement each other and are mutually interdependent.

Sonia R. Falcos: Sonia is a native of Brazil. She was first introduced to interpreting by John Nickrosz back in 1980 and since then, she knew she had found her true calling. She holds a degree in Law from the University of São Paulo and a B.A. in Spanish and French from the University of Massachusetts/ Lowell. She is married with two children. Presently, she works as an interpreter for Mount Auburn Hospital.

1 Religion originally brought to Brazil from Africa with the slaves 2 To write something dictated by a spirit. 3 Other books by Allan Kardec that form the base of “Espiritismo” are: “The Medium’s Book” (1861), “The Gospel According to ‘Espiritismo’ ” (1864), “Heaven and Hell” (1865), and “Genesis” (1868).

An additional interesting aspect of the coexistence between medical practices and religious ones in the healing process is

that for an “espirita”¹ there are two different kinds of medicine: the spiritual one and the material one. One does not exclude but complements the other. It is very rare to encounter an individual so erroneously informed on the matter that would refuse medical treatment since s/he is being already treated by a “medium” or a “healer”. The most common occurrence is that a person, not because of his/her beliefs, but for monetary reasons, goes to see a “healer” instead of a doctor. Or even, one who goes to see a “healer” when conventional medicine has turned him/her down with an unfavorable or fatal diagnosis.

So in Brazil, “healers” and doctors are most of the time seen simultaneously. Patients are very transparent about commenting freely with his or her doctor the fact that they saw a “healer”. It is also

common for the “healer” to turn the person down and recommend that s/he sees a doctor since the condition does not seems to be of a spiritual nature and so should be handle by conventional medicine.

It is important to have in mind, though, that according to the “International Religious Freedom Report 2002” 2

nearly all-major religions are being practice in Brazil. And with a population of 170 million people is always impossible to guess which of them your patient belongs to.

Being “Espirita” is just one possibility, but when encountering one in your practice consider all the facts above. 1 Follower of “Espiritismo” 2Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor – U.S. Department of State

Medical Interpreter Need and Utilization

Assessment

The following survey is for interpreters and health care/social service providers living

and/or working in the Metro West area. Once completed, it should be sent to: Anne FitzPatrick, MS, Operations Manager, Nursing and Health Professions, MassBay Community College, 19 Flagg Drive, Framingham, MA 01702. Questions can be directed to Anne FitzPatrick at 508-270-4028 or afitzpatrick@massbay.edu Please respond to the following questions: A. Participant information

1. Participant Profession: a. Physician b. Dentist c. Nurse d. Health Care Professional please specify_____________________ e. Human Service Professional please specify_____________________ f. Mental Health Care Professional please specify_____________________ g. Legal Professional please specify_____________________ h. Other please specify_____________________

2. Do you interact with individuals who speak a language other than English at home? yes no

3. In which professional settings do you have the opportunity to interact with these individuals concerning health issues? (check all that apply )

a. Hospital b. Medical office c. Legal office d. Client homes e. Other, please specify______________________

Continued on next page

4. In which languages are you fluent? (check all that apply )

a. Spanish b. Portuguese c. English d. Mandarin Chinese e. Haitian Creole f. Russian g. American Sign Language h. Other, please specify

language____________________________

5. How often has language been a potential barrier to providing care for your patients/clients not fluent in English (check all that apply)

a. Occasionally (1-15/month) b. Frequently (more than 15/month) MMIA Members at the Conference.

c. Never d. Unsure

6. How often is a medical interpretation provided by the following (check all that apply) a. Trained medical interpreter: usually sometimes rarely never b. Patient family member/friend: usually sometimes rarely never c. Other, please specify________________ usually sometimes rarely never

7. How often is medical interpreting required in your office for the following languages (check all that apply )

a. Spanish always usually sometimes rarely never b. Portuguese always usually sometimes rarely never c. English always usually sometimes rarely never d. Mandarin Chinese always usually sometimes rarely never e. French Creole always usually sometimes rarely never f. Russian always usually sometimes rarely never

How often is medical interpreting required in your office for the following languages g. American Sign Language always usually sometimes rarely never h. Other, please specify language____________________________ always usually sometimes rarely never

8. How often is medical interpretation performed by the following in your office (check all that apply ) a. patient family member/friend always usually sometimes rarely never b. Language Link always usually sometimes rarely never c. interpreter agency always usually sometimes rarely never d. office staff always usually sometimes rarely never e. MetroWest Medical Ctr interpreters always usually sometimes rarely never f. trained Medical Interpreters always usually sometimes rarely never

9. Utilizing a medical interpreter for non-English speaking individuals during an office visit has improved

the quality of care provided to patients/clients.

always usually sometimes never 10. In your opinion, does utilizing a medical interpreter improve your non-English speaking patient or

client’s satisfaction with the visit.

always usually sometimes never 11. Utilizing a medical interpreter has improved my patients’ outcomes, e.g. medication compliance,

aftercare/homecare compliance.

always usually sometimes never 12. When choosing a medical interpreter, I would prefer one who is

a. a patient/client’s friend or relative b. trained to be accurate and unbiased continued on next page

c. on call as needed d. fluent in more than one language e. a staff member

Please circle the one qualification above that is most important to you.

13. I would be willing to reimburse trained medical interpreters a. $150 per visit b. $125 per visit c. $100 per visit d. $ 75 per visit e. $ 50 per visit On behalf of MassBay Community College and the Cultural Competency Committee of the MetroWest Community Health Care Coalition, thank you for your assistance in completing this community need and utilization assessment.

Jane Kontrimas, Chair, Certification Committee, accepting an award on behalf of Maria-Pas Avery.

Heartbreak in Honduras By Alison MacAdam, 8/22/2003

THE 13-YEAR-OLD is small for his age. He glides silently into the clinic, wearing a blue baseball cap. It advertises a Honduran political party, with the motto "Hacia una nueva victoria" (Toward a new victory) His name is Juan Antonio Mejilla. The doctor today is one of the medical group's less experienced. His face is shadowed by the feeble beard of a young man trying to look older. He tells me, his translator, to ask Juan Antonio what the problem is. "Cual es el problema?" The boy stares at his lap, and his mom speaks up from behind. "He can't hardly hear," she says. The doctor burrows a lighted instrument into Juan Antonio's ears. Turns out both eardrums are broken -- they have been for years. "Torn timpanic membranes," he announces. Juan Antonio could Alison

MacAdam , at the 7th Annual Conference become totally deaf. I struggle to translate this to his mother. But what's the use of saying "torn timpanic membranes" to a woman who, if lucky, had three years of schooling?

This is a teaching trip -- so American medical students are cycled through the room to look inside Juan Antonio's ears. The boy sits like a statue, but he can see the concern on their faces. I want to help him understand what's going on. I try: "They are looking in order to learn more about ears."

Juan Antonio and his mother are told that he needs ear surgery. For that, he must go to Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital. Eight hours away by bus, over craggy mountains. I'm asked to translate, "Can you afford to go?" Senora Mejilla shakes her head and slides two fingers together lightly: Too expensive.

"A'right then," says the doctor, quickly scribbling a prescription. "We can write a reference for whenever they can afford to go. We'll give him some vitamins and send him on his way." Send him on his way. It rings in my ears; so dismissive, so routine.

Juan Antonio's mom is not ready to be sent on her way. "What about his knee?" she asks me. His knee -- had I misunderstood earlier? The doctor checks the knee impatiently. And it soon becomes apparent that this too is serious. More doctors are brought in, each feeling an apple-sized lump on Juan Antonio's knee. They exchange long Latin-sounding medical terms -- in grave voices, words I can't translate. The boy keeps his head down, but I notice that once in a while he raises his shirt to his eyes to wipe away tears. A small dark stain forms on the brown plaid.

"He must go to La Esperanza, to the hospital there for tests," says the doctor. That's four hours away -- the closest hospital to town. The lump could be cancerous, maybe deadly.

Another medical opinion the Mejillas can't afford. And the doctors' body language, their tone, has already said too much. They're scaring our patient. Nothing I translate can undo that.

One doctor begins to cry and impulsively announces that she will pay for the Mejillas's trip to La Esperanza. Despite the fact that this breaks the medical group's fundamental rule: fair and sustainable aid. But -- she pauses, clutching the $10 in Honduran lempiras, and asks the room, "How can we be sure they won't use this to buy alcohol?" She turns -- to me, "Tell them they have to use this to get to La Esperanza, or the boy could die."

I can't say this. Maybe I'm naive, but I can't bear to even insinuate that this mother would disregard her son's health for rum or beer. But translating is my job. "It is very important," I say in Spanish, "that you use this money to go to La Esperanza." She nods and takes the money from the doctor. She doesn't say thank you.

Finally, the room clears out. It's silent. The doctor turns to me. "Will you translate a prayer?" he asks. I'm caught speechless. We're doctors, not missionaries. I respect the doctor's faith. But the Mejillas didn't come here for prayers; they came believing our science could solve their problems. The truth is -- this time it can't. I'm afraid Juan Antonio will understand a prayer as proof that he is beyond hope. Why travel to La Esperanza if the American doctors are resorting to prayer?

I mutter to the doctor, "I will say that you are going to pray." And the doctor prays. "Father in heaven, I pray for healing for this young man." The tear stain on Juan Antonio's shirt is wetter and wider. And then, they're sent off with a prescription for Advil and multivitamins. That afternoon, we deliver a baby boy. Our most experienced doctor presides. I hold a flashlight, because the electricity is out. We crowd the room, cheering "Puje!" -- Push! -- as the mother tires. The first light the baby sees comes from the flashlight I hold. A perfect baby boy born safely into a world where intensive medical care is only available if you're lucky. A perfect baby boy -- who may never in his life travel as far as La Esperanza.

Alison MacAdam works for National Public Radio in Washington. She was a medical translator for several weeks this year in Honduras.

© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.

MMIA- Newsletter Committee

Over the years, the MMIA Newsletter has been a trusted source of information for medical interpreters, educators of medical interpreters, academics committed to the development of medical interpreting, service providers, administrators of interpreter services and public policy makers. Indeed, the Newsletter’s mission is to provide essential information dedicated to promoting the growing profession of Medical Interpreter. Its mission is achieved through the sharing of good practice, challenges and information on the subject. Current members of the Newsletter Committee include:

Joy Connell: Email:Joy.Connell@DMH.state.ma.us

MMIA 7th Annual Conference: Gaye Gentes, Joy Connell, MMIA, Board of Directors, and Roxana Llierma Quinn, Phd, Harvard Medical School.

George Falcos: Email: sfalcos@att.net John Nickrosz: Email: jdnickrosz@aol.com Marcio Nascimento: Email:marcionascimento@yahoo.com The committee enthusiastically encourages members to submit articles of interest. Articles can be submitted by mail, e-mail or fax to:

MMIA Newsletter Committee: 750 Washington Street, NEMC Box 271 Boston, MA 02111-1845 Fax: (978) 768-7901

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8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, one day a week for six weeks

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation's Institute for Linguistic andCultural Skills has developed this essential training program to enableparticipants to become competent medical interpreters. These interpreterswill assist providers in meeting the expectations and the health care needs oftheir culturally diverse patients. Qualified medical interpreters trained by theInstitute contribute to better health outcomes, enhanced communicationbetween provider and Limited-English Proficient (LEP) patients, increasedclinician and patient satisfaction, and reduced legal risks. This programmeets or exceeds the requirements of the Massachusetts Emergency RoomInterpreter Law (ERIL) and adheres to federal mandates and guidelines onculturally and linguistically appropriate health care.

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Free for HPHC Staff$425 Staff of HVMA and NHP Affiliate sites, HPHC Members$475 All Others

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All Languages

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I Thursdays :January 8, 15, 22, 29,February 5, 12

II Tuesdays :February 24,March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

III Wednesdays :April 7, 14, 28,May 5, 12, 19

IV Tuesdays :September 14, 21, 28,October 5, 12, 19

V Thursdays :October 14, 21, 28,November 4, 11, 18

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Felicita Alvarado (Fela)Tel: (617) 509- 6039e: Felicita_Alvarado@harvardpilgrim.org

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Wellesley (III, V): 93 Worcester Street, at intersection of Route 9 Westand Route 128

Quincy (I, II, IV): 1600 Crown Colony Drive, at intersectionof Routes 93 and 3, next to Marriott Hotel

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AMERICAN TRANSLATORS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCEMENT

WHERE :

PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE DIVISION - PLD

10th ANNUAL SPRING

MEETING

PROVIDENCE COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND Friday & Saturday, April 16-17,

2004 The Portuguese Language Division of the American Translators Association is pleased to announce its 10th

Annual Spring Meeting, to take place on April 16th and 17th, 2004 at the Courtyard by Marriott, in beautiful downtown Providence. Did you know... ... that Portuguese is the second most spoken language in the state of Rhode Island and third in the state of Massachusetts? ... that it takes only one hour to drive across the entire state of Rhode Island, as well as from Boston to Providence? ... that New England boasts the largest concentration of Brazilian, Cape Verdean and Portuguese immigrants in the U.S.? ... that approximately 100,000 Brazilians live in the Boston metro area alone? ... that some large hospitals in the Boston area have staffs of 5 to 6 full-time medical interpreters working exclusively with Portuguese? ... that Newport, RI (a 40- min drive from Providence) was the first “resort city” in America, founded in 1639? ... that Teresa Heinz Kerry was born in Mozambique, that Portuguese is the first of her six languages and that she started dating her husband, Sen. John Kerry from Mass., at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio? You will learn that and much more in Providence – New England’s “Renaissance City”- during the 10th Spring Meeting of the ATA Portuguese Language Division. Our best networking opportunity of the year is just two months away!

Our program will include: Friday April 16th • Português sem Mestre Ilha Fantástica da L(USA)lândia – Prof. Onésimo T. Almeida, Brown University • The Portuguese-Speaking Community in New England and the State of the Market for Translators and Interpreters – a round-

table with several organizations and professionals • Grammar Games II – The Return - a fun way to polish your grammar and spelling, with Vera Abreu, following her hit session

in 2002 in Santa Fe • Pairing off the U.S. and Brazilian Judiciary Systems - a Viable Courtship? Enéas Theodoro Jr., legal interpreter and translator

in Tucson, AZ Saturday April 17th • Meus 12 Anos como Micro-Empresário de Tradução nos EUA - Carlos Lück, translation company co-owner and professor at

University of Southern Maine • Modismos do Português Brasileiro Moderno – Sandra Schamas, from São Paulo, back by popular demand • Challenges in Medical Interpreting: Talking to Patients of Different Nationalities – Zarita Araújo-Lane, company owner,

lecturer and trainer in Boston • Gestão de Tempo para Freelancers - Sandra Schamas (to be confirmed) Friday Night – Jantar de Confraternização “O Madeira” restaurant in Providence – 5 minutes from our hotel Delicious Portuguese food with a fixed price menu A separate reservation form will be available soon in our website

Our presenters, in alphabetical order: Vera Abreu, freelance translator and localizer, former PLD administrator and former editor of the PLData newsletter . Onésimo T. Almeida, Ph.D. Professor of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI . Zarita Araujo-Lane, President, Cross Cultural Communication Institute (CCCS), Winchester, MA – translator, interpreter, consultant and trainer. J.R. Dryer – State Dept. contract interpreter and developer of educational programs serving the Portuguese-speaking community in Boston . Gregory Figaro, founder and director of CultureSmart Trainers and Consultants, Milton Village, MA – trainer in interpreting and cultural competency. Carlos Lück, Ph.D., co-owner of The Brazilian Connection and associate professor of electrical engineering at the University of Southern Maine

Paulo Pinto, Executive Director of MAPS - Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers - Cambridge, MA, a community-based organization providing health and human services to Portuguese speakers in eastern Massachusetts since 1970. Sandra Schamas, lecturer, author, translator and teacher from São Paulo Enéas Theodoro Jr., freelance legal translator and interpreter in Tucson, AZ – author of “The Legal Corner” in the PLData newsletter. For reservations, please call the Courtyard by Marriott directly at (888) 887-7955 or (401) 272-1191. Please mention "ATA Portuguese Language Division" to get our group rate of $109.00. This group rate will be available until 3/17/04. Hotel information: http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/PVDDT Providence attractions: http://www.providenceri.com/home.html Newport attractions: www.gonewport.com/whattodo/attractions.htm

Registration Information: Please download your registration form directly from: http://www.ata-divisions.org/PLD/Registration%20Form%20Ready_2004.doc “Early Bird” Registration Fees (by March 17, 2004) PLD Members $140.00 Non-PLD Members $175.00 Regular Registration Fees (cut-off date April 9, 2004): PLD Members $170.00 Non-PLD Members $200.00 One-Day-Only Registration Fees PLD Members $ 90.00 Non-PLD Members $110.00 For further information, please contact: Robert G. Lee, MA, CT/CI. Tereza Braga, PLD Administrator – terezab@sbcglobal.net Boston University, at the MMIA conference Arlene Kelly, PLD Assistant Administrator – xingukelly@aol.com Website of the American Translators Association: www.atanet.org Website of the ATA Portuguese Language Division – PLD: www.ata.divisions.org/PLD PLData newsletter – www.ata-divisions.org/PLD/Newsletter_PLD/PLData_Latest_Issue.pdf

Board of Directors 2002-2003 – Directory Connell, Joy -President DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH Office of Multicultural Affairs 25 Staniford Steet Boston, MA 02114 (617) 626-8133 (Work) (617) 626-8138 (Fax) Joy.Connell@dmh.state.ma.us

So, Allen K. - Vice-President Coordinator of Interpreter Services QUINCY MEDICAL CENTER P. O. Box 74 Quincy, MA 02169 (617) 376-4013 (Work) (617) 560-8238 (Pager) allenso@quincymc.org

Gonsalves, Tyrone P. - Secretary Department of Mental Health BROCKTON MULTI-SERVICE CENTER

165 Quincy Street Brockton, MA 02302 508-897-2053 (Work) tyrone.gonsalves@dmh.state.ma.us

Zamor, Riché C. - Treasurer Latino Health Institute

Director of T/A 95 Berkeley St Boston, MA 02116 (617) 350-6900 (Work) X102 (617) 350-6901 (Fax) romaz@attbi.com

Nickrosz, John D. Chair, Education Committee NEMC-Medical Interpreter 750 Washington Street NEMC Box 271 (617) 636-6283 (Fax) jdnickrosz@aol.com

Kontrimas, Jane S. Chair, Certification Committee Interpreter Services - East Campus Beth Israel Deaconess Med.Center (617) 667-2794 (Work) (617) 975-5155 (Fax) jkontrim@caregroup.harvard.edu

Skvarnavicius, Roman - Chair, Bylaws Committee (413) 737-4718 (Work) (413) 827-7817 (Fax) cfsroman@hotmail.com

Alvarez, Pedro L. Cambridge, Regional Director Medical Interpreter (617) 665-1783 (Work) (617) 441-3232 (Fax) dreamcatchers1@email.com

Sabbagh, Ahmad Boston, Regional Director Associate Physician/Interpreter P. O. Box 8531 Boston, MA 02114 alsabbagh@yahoo.com

Nascimento, Marcio Boston, Regional Director (617) 624-6091 (Work) marcionascimento@yahoo.com

Wong, Nelson Boston, Regional Director NEMC-Director of Interpreter Svcs P.O. Box 447 Boston, MA 02111-1845 nwong@tufts-nemc.org

Gatej, Maria D. M.V., Regional Director MVAHEC - Interpreter Program Coordinator (978) 685-4860 (Work) mgatej@glfhc.org

Tchorz, Fanny SouthEast, Regional Director St Anne’s Hospital 795 Middle Street Fall River, MA 02721 (508) 674-5600 (Work) X2440 fanny_tchorz@cchcs.org

McDonough, Estela Central Mass, Regional Director Umass – Coor. .of Training & Educ. 55 Lake Avenue North Worcester, MA 01605 (508) 856-2792 (Work) mcdone01@ummhc.org

Santander-Nelson, Raquel MetroWest, Regional Director Coordinator of Interpretr Services (508) 383-8725 (Work) (508) 879-6645 (Fax) raquel.Santander-nelson@tenethealth.com

Paulino, Ruben M. V., Regional Director Coordinator of Interpretr Services (781) 744-5404 (Work) ruben.d.paulino@lahey.org

Schenck, Cynthia M. – North Shore, Regional Director (781) 722-0040 (Work) X309 cschenck@pacenorthshore.org

MMIA NEWS: This newsletter is our main communication tool, not only for the hundreds of professional interpreters of Massachusetts, but also to the community at large. It is the ideal vehicle to educate and disseminate information about the medical interpreting field. Our hope is that this newsletter will empower health care providers as well as medical interpreters and their departments to educate the public regarding the many aspects of our profession. Please share the information you read here with others. All opinions expressed in the article s are those of the authors. The MMIA does not endorse and is not responsible for any information published in this newsletter. Please send articles, opinions or suggestions to: MMIA Newsletter Committee, via email to: sfalcos@att.net or Fax to: (978) 975-7731 Designed by: George C. Falcos Printed by: Shanghai Printing Circulation 1000 Pictures by: Roman Skvarnavicius