NOTE: We are completing a transition to a new learning management system and will not be offering any courses until later this year . Courses will be offered by Oregon Community Colleges once this system update has been completed. To be added to the list of persons receiving information on the next available classes, please send your name, contact information, the city where you work and where you live in to Lyn Bogie at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Curriculum Overview

The Oregon AHEC Spanish Health Care Interpreting Program has been developed to address an emerging need for training identified by Oregon health care employers serving increasing populations of low-English proficiency (LEP) and non-English proficiency (NEP) Spanish-speaking patients. This program was developed to bring training to local communities across Oregon and to improve access to quality health care interpreting services. The program also provides entry-level training in health care interpreting that meets Oregon’s Health Care Interpreter law standards for training and education.  Successful completion of this 68 hour training program, 24 hour language skills lab, and the 32 hour practicum meets the educational requirement necessary for applying for “qualified” status under the implementation of the Oregon Administrative Rules with the Oregon State Department of Human Services and Office of Multicultural Health. As a participant you are encouraged to continue gaining experience and participating in additional training to build skills to reach “certified” status once a state test becomes available. There is also work nationally to produce a national certification test by 2011 that this course can begin to prepare you to take. This program is an opportunity to be trained as a professional Health Care Interpreter and assist LEP and NEP patients in your community gain access to quality health care services. The program development and initial training of master trainers has been funded through the Oregon Department of Community Colleges, Workforce Development, and Oregon AHEC.  Delivery of training in your local community is sponsored/hosted by your local health care provider or community college in concert with your regional AHEC Center.


Introduction
This course is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career in Health Care Interpretation. The intent of this course is to offer a training that will prepare bilingual individuals to serve as Health Care Interpreters in rural and/or urban areas.   This course will focus its activities on participatory learning approaches and facilitated self-study review. The activities chosen are intended to address, enhance, and reinforce course goals and objectives. There are 68 didactic hours, 24 hours of language and interpreting skill lab, and a 32-hour practicum are required to achieve the certificate of completion for the program.  The AHEC Project Development Team has worked to bring together materials you will need to be successful in this manual.


 
Goals
The overall goal of this course is to provide students with the necessary tools to obtain a Certificate of Completion and become successful professional Health Care Interpreters. The students will understand and apply the principles and values of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) Code of Ethics in any scenario they may encounter.
 
Objectives
At the end of this course, the students will be able to:
Articulate and demonstrate the role and responsibilities of a Health Care Interpreter.
Articulate and apply the principles and values of the NCIHC Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice to your interpreting practice.
Provide an overview of the techniques and the concepts of health care interpretation.
Recognize and manage in a professional manner the barriers and problems a Health Care Interpreter encounters in actual practice.
Identify human body organs and understand their functions in the context of Anatomy and Physiology.
Identify diseases and disorders and the correct medical terminology to interpret this information accurately in the medical setting.
Identify basic medical procedures, medications and diagnoses and demonstrate ability to interpret during sessions where these medical procedures, medications and diagnoses are being discussed with patients.
Interpret accurately Anatomy, Physiology, and Medical Terminology in English and Spanish.
Effectively interpret scenarios using the tools provided in this course.
Develop efficient and professional interpreting techniques and be able to demonstrate interpreting techniques in a clinical setting.
Demonstrate ability to manage the flow of an interpreting session.
Discuss and compare cultural beliefs, practices and values, and explain the impact they have on accurate interpretation.
Demonstrate awareness of and appropriate methods of managing and addressing existing cultural diversity among Hispanic/Latino clients in actual or practice scenarios.
 
Course Structure
The section Health Care Interpreting Basics focuses on specific components that will provide the student with theoretical knowledge and some practical experience to develop an understanding of the Health Care Interpreting profession. This section uses documents from the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC), and includes a focus on state and national laws around health care interpreting. It includes one written test upon completion of the section.  This section is 8 hours long.
 
This section contains 60 hours of Integrated Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Terminology, and Interpreting Skills. This unit includes Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Terminology, and structured interpreting practices for interpreter students in Spanish and English. A significant amount of these integrated course hours are structured for self-study in which the student will be able to study on his/her own or in small groups. We often refer to this part of the program as the integrated course which includes, weekly self-study homework assignments and on-line homework assignments (which include unit quizzes and ethics assignments), student presentations, kinesthetic activities and interpreting practices, one mid-term, and one final written test.  We have moved to on-line homework assignments for most classes, however instructors still review self-study assignments with students each week and track that students are completing this important aspect of the program. Please note that students are to complete all self-study assignments prior to attending class on that topic area or unit.  A Course Syllabus is included under the Forms Tab to be copied for each student.
 
The Language and Interpreting Skills Lab is designed to provide students additional practice outside of class work to enhance their language and interpreting skills. The Skills Lab is a supplement to the in-class learning and self-study assignments. Students are required to complete 24 hours throughout the program, two hours for each unit of the Integrated Course.   Students may choose the time that best fits their schedule to either go to the centrally located language lab materials or to work with their purchased copy of these materials at home.  (you will determine which route you will go during your course planning).  Language lab homework assignments are due each week.  We currently are having students complete this homework on-line in most cases.
 
12 hours of ethics assignments are integrated into the Integrated Course. There will be a quiz on ethics for every unit students complete after reading a scenario or watching a video on an ethical dilemma. Trainers will review assignments that a significant portion of students fail to get correct during class sessions and refer students back to the NCIHC Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice documents.
 
A final comprehensive written exam will be given at the end of the course to evaluate the learning process.

The students will complete a 2 hours clinical orientation prior to the 32-hours of clinical practicum experience.
A final comprehensive oral exam will be given at the end of the course to evaluate the overall learning process.
A certificate of completion will be given to all students who successfully complete all program elements.
 

For Program Units and Description, CLICK HERE

 
Importance of Self-Study
Please note that students have self-study materials for each unit that require a minimum of equal time spent in the classroom to be spent at home in self-study prior to class sessions.  Students also have an additional two hours minimum in Language Skills Lab self-study for each integrated course unit. These are very important to be completed prior to class each session and will be counted toward students overall grades for the program.

This means students should put in a minimum of 8 hours self-study prior to interpreting basics class on homework assignments and a minimum of 5 hours per integrated course unit in self-study.  Students who have not previously taken Anatomy and Physiology or Medical Terminology and who have less interpreting experience may need to DOUBLE self-study hours for each integrated course unit.

FOR MORE DETAIL ON PROGRAM CONTENT, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Program or additional program information:
Lyn Bogie, Health Careers Coordinator,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

To learn more about requirements to become a qualified interpreter in Oregon CLICK HERE

To learn more about requirements to become a certified interpreter in Oregon CLICK HERE