The Massachusetts Medical Interpreter Training program at ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School recently hosted the “Paving the Way to Health Care Access Conference 2024” on May 31 and June 1. Recognized nationwide as one of the premier annual educational and networking events for the medical interpreter community, this conference brings together interpreters, trainers, hospital administrators, program coordinators, industry leaders, and healthcare providers from New England and across the country. The conference aims to support better access to healthcare and provides best practices and continuing education for medical interpreters, who serve as facilitators of clear communication in a patient-centered system. Attendees share their knowledge and experience in skills development focused on both medical and behavioral health.
ForHealth Consulting Executive Vice Chancellor, Lisa M. Colombo, DNP, MHA, RN, welcomed attendees to the event, which hosted 242 total attendees from 18 states with a total of 28 represented languages and dialects.
“As a nurse, I know how important and critical your work is for patients, their families, and healthcare providers. The dedication to your profession is evident by being here with us to ensure that we are bridging language barriers for the people we serve, ensuring access and equity for individuals to improve their healthcare experience during often challenging times,” Colombo said to attendees.
Colombo also introduced the winner of the Tony Winsor Award—Nina Scott, MSHS, CMI- Spanish, director of interpreter services at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Scott is an instructor and language coach for the ForHealth Consulting Massachusetts Medical Interpreting Training Course, and she is a member of the Forum on the Coordination of Interpreter Services (FOCIS). Scott is an experienced manager of interpreter services working in specialized healthcare centers and leading multicultural teams.
The award honors Winsor, an attorney who dedicated his 39 years of practice to advocating for the disadvantaged, including professionalizing the work of medical interpreters and improving language access for all persons.
The conference featured multiple learning opportunities for interpreters, including 28 workshops led by clinicians, directors of interpreter services, trainers of interpreters, professors, and consultants of interpreter services and language access.
The keynote speech, “Linguistic Access is Health Care Access,” was delivered by Elizabeth Jacobs, MD, a physician leader and investigator with expertise in building research, educational, clinical, and faculty development infrastructure within academic environments and community-based organizations. Jacobs’ speech focused on the importance of linguistic access in healthcare to improve care, reduce disparities, and save lives.
The closing speaker was Diana Pagano, executive vice president at Interpreters and Translators International, Inc., and her presentation was titled “Embracing the Future: Overcoming Fear in the Age of [Artificial Intelligence] AI for Medical Interpreters.” Pagano’s speech advocated for healthcare interpreters to embrace AI as an empowering tool for adaptability, continuous learning, and optimism toward technological change.
The Paving the Way Conference was founded 19 years ago through the efforts of Lisa Morris, director of cross-cultural initiatives within Training and Workforce Development at ForHealth Consulting. The team assisting with this conference included ForHealth Consulting’s Bindiya Jha, Lynn DeCouto, and Lynn Carson, plus Silvana Kirby from Berkshire Area Health Education Center and Flavia Perry from the Center for Health Impact. Planning for next year’s conference is underway, and a date will be announced soon.
“The services [medical interpreters] provide often extend far beyond healthcare interactions to encompass the social determinants of health…so that patients and families access the care and resources they need in many dimensions of their lives,” Colombo said. “Qualified medical interpreters are such important members of the healthcare team in accomplishing the goal of equity. Kudos to taking the time to invest in professional development to help us reach the goal of a better healthcare system for all.”
Paving the Way to Health Care Access Conference 2024 sponsors included:
- Platinum- Language Line
- Gold- HCIN, Interpreters and Translators, Inc
- Silver- CCHI-Certified Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, AMN Healthcare, International Translation Company, Certified Languages International
- Bronze- NCIHC, MasterWord, Language Connections, ID-QUEUE, Be Moore Interpreting
