Culturesmart
Leader in National Medical Interpreter
Training
Judy Kanter,
M.Ed. of Culturesmart chosen in
the inaugural group to improve
communication between Spanish-speaking
families, English-speaking staff
Boston, (May,
30, 2006) Judy Kanter
was selected as one of 25 trainers
from across the country to implement
a program designed to improve health
care communication and safety.
Judy recently returned from
Phoenix, Arizona where she attended
an intensive one-week program for
trainers. Now that she has completed
the training of trainers, she will
be training bilingual health care
workers in medical terms, interpreting
protocol, multicultural understanding,
leadership and teamwork for Culturesmart.
“Nearly every hospital receives patients with limited English proficiency,
but less than 25 percent of the country’s hospitals are staffed with
skilled interpreters,” said Barbara Rayes, who is master trainer for
the project and coordinates translation services and language education at
Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “Being a good interpreter means having
a huge vocabulary in two languages, recognizing cultural differences, and being
able to stay personally quiet while repeating what everyone else is saying.
It’s art and science. It
takes talent and training. Interpreters
are in a very special role.”
Training bilingual
interpreters is an urgent health
and safety issue and is critical
because it increases efficiency
and decreases medical errors. In
2001, the University of Arizona
and Phoenix Children’s
Hospital developed the curriculum
that trains bilingual speakers
to be medical interpreters and
medical interpreter trainers, with
input from local and national experts. Recent
funding from the global organization
Ronald McDonald House Charities,
Inc. expands the project to a national
level.
“This project will improve patient care and safety by developing trainers,” Rayes
said. “Teaching
is a natural extension of the communication
skills unique to interpreters and
we are thrilled that Judy Kanter
was chosen to be the trainer for
Culturesmart based in Boston, Massachusetts.
For additional
information about the program offered
through Culturesmart, please contact
Gregory Figaro at (617) 890-1111
or email info@culturesmart.org.
###
Editor’s Note: Media
are welcome to contact
Juanita Francis, project
manager, at (602) 481-3853,
for additional information
about the national
Medical Interpreter
Project for Children's
Hospitals.
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