Sixth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations: Preconference Sessions Patient-centered care: best practices in health care interpreting - panelists
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Special Session NCIHC Forum on modes of interpreting

Patient-centered care: best practices in health care interpreting - panelists
Sunday, September 21, 2008: 1:30 PM-4:30 PM, Minn Marriott, 8th Floor - Lake Nokomis
The National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) will lead an interactive group discussion on the pros and cons of different modes of interpreting, with a focus on the patient perspective. Recently, a series of postings on this topic engaged many of the members on the NCIHC listserv. During discussions, it was suggested that a document, or “white paper,” surrounding best practices for the use of different modes of interpreting in a health care setting be created. In response, this forum will be an opportunity to collect data regarding the use of both consecutive and simultaneous interpreting modes as well as both face-to-face and remote interpreting models such as video conference and over-the-phone (telephonic), and become the basis for the white paper. Joining several NCIHC board members, Elisa Gustafson, staff interpreter at Fairview University Hospital in Minneapolis and Membership Director of UMTIA, will also participate.

Presentation Information:

Program: Preconference Sessions


C. Maria Michalczyk, RN, MA , Institute for Health Professionals, Portland Community College, Portland, OR
    Director of Interpreter Training
    Portland Community College
    Institute for Health Professionals
    1626 SE Water Avenue
    Portland OR, USA 97214

    Phone: 503-731-6627
    Fax: 503-731-6632
    Email Address: cmichalc@pcc.edu

    Biographical Sketch:     Maria Michalczyk has worked well over 38 years in healthcare as a nurse and educator. She holds an M.A in Anthropology and a nursing degree from the University of Guam. She founded the Healthcare Interpreter Training Program at Oregon’s Portland Community College in 1998 and developed and managed the Medical Interpreter Program at Oregon Health Sciences University from 1992-2001. Maria was involved in the ASTM National Medical Interpreter workgroup. Ms. Michalczyk was the major contributor to Oregon’s healthcare interpreter qualification/certification law and had the honor of presenting before Governor Kitzhaber in 2001 as the bill was signed into law. In April of 2006, Maria received the Governor John Kitzhaber Public Health Leadership Award. Maria has served on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Interpretation in Health Care since 2001, including board co-chair and presently is the treasurer. Ms. Michalczyk serves as the Honorary Chair for the Japanese Association for Healthcare Interpreting, as well as being vice president for the National Hispanic Nursing Association of Oregon and the treasurer for the Oregon Latino Health Coalition. Maria served on the Health Equities Committee for Oregon’s Health Care Reform Act of 2007 from 2007-2008.
Wilma Alvarado-Little, MA , Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY
    Director, Community Outreach and Information Dissemination
    University at Albany, State University of New York
    Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities
    1400 Washington Avenue
    AS 103
    Albany NY, USA 12208

    Phone: 518-442-5976
    Fax: 518-442-4563
    Email Address: walittle@albany.edu

    Biographical Sketch:     Wilma Alvarado-Little is Director for Community Outreach and Information Dissemination at the University at Albany State University of New York Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities and is currently Co-chair of the Board of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care. Ms. Alvarado-Little serves on numerous state and national boards which address linguistic and multicultural issues. She has an MA in Spanish and BA in Spanish and Psychology.
Elisa L. Gustafson , Fairview Health Services and UMTIA, Minneapolis, MN
    Health care interpreter
    Fairview Health Services and UMTIA
    3500 Oliver Ave N.
    Minneapolis MN, USA 55412

    Phone: 612-378-1789
    Email Address: umtia@juno.com

    Biographical Sketch:     Elisa is a staff interpreter at Fairview University Medical Center in Minneapolis, and also has functioned as a translator and project manager, helping to set policy regarding translation processing and who has the appropriate background to do translations. She is a lab assistant at the University of Minnesota's Program in Translation and Interpreting, and is currently working with Dr. Bruce Downing on curriculum design for CUNY in New York. She is also a conference interpreter. And the current membership director of UMTIA.
Rashelle LeCaptain , Connecting Cultures, Inc., Little Chute, WI
    President
    Connecting Cultures, Inc.
    701 Moasis Dr.
    PO Box 262
    Little Chute WI, USA 54140

    Phone: 920-202-0684
    Fax: 920-687-0371
    Email Address: rashelle@connecting-cultures.com

    Biographical Sketch:     Rashelle LeCaptain entire career has been dedicated to furthering the profession of health care interpreting. In 2000 she started Connecting Cultures, Inc. in North East Wisconsin to provide sustainable employment opportunities to bilingual individuals wanting to work as interpreters. Since its inception Connecting Cultures, Inc. has become a leader in interpreter management and training. Rashelle has also passionate about educating the community and consumers of language services on what they should expect from professional interpreters, creating an environment of quality control through education. Rashelle serves on the Board of Directors for the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care as a Co-Chair for their Outreach Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin.
Jorge U. Ungo , Pacific Interpreters, Inc., Portland, OR
    Southwest Region Manager
    Pacific Interpreters, Inc.
    707 SW Washington
    Suite 200
    Portland OR, USA 97205

    Phone: 281-597-8632
    Fax: 484-726-6621
    Email Address: jorge.ungo@pacificinterpreters.com

    Biographical Sketch:     Jorge Ungo has dedicated his career to providing high quality interpreting services. As the director of an international interpreting program, Jorge was responsible for all business operations including the development of specialized training programs and interpreter evaluation tools. Today, Jorge is the Southwest Region Manager for Pacific Interpreters – a nationwide leader in healthcare interpreting. In addition to his work with the National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (NCIHC), Jorge is the Director of Professional Development for the Houston Interpreters and Translators Association (HITA) and the Event Coordinator for the Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters and Translators (TAHIT). Jorge was also the founding acting administrator of the American Translators Association Medical Division (ATA-MD).
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