Information about the March 2012 Healthcare Interpreter Course can be found below the pictures.

Health Care Interpreter Training Program
Fall 2010 Level I

Health Care Interpreter Fall 2010 Level II

Health Care Interpreter Training Program
Spring 2010 Level I

Health Care Interpreter Spring 2010 Level II

A training program will be offered for bilingual-bicultural individuals through the University of Memphis.

This is one of only 10 official training sites affiliated with Hablamos Juntos in the country.

Upcoming Classes:

Level I

March 3 (Saturday), from 12pm to 5:00pm (5 hours)

March 4 (Sunday), from 9:00am to 5:00pm (8 hours)

March 10 (Saturday), from 12pm to 5:00pm (5 hours)

March 11 (Sunday), from 9:00am to 5:00pm (8 hours)

March 17  (Saturday), from 12pm to 5:00pm (5 hours) 

Total hours of classroom instruction:  30, which will take place during two consecutive weekends in March (as shown above) and one additional Saturday. Practicum:  10 hours of observing and interacting with experienced interpreters at ST. Jude, Methodist, and the Med. This course consists of a total of 40 contact hours, which includes course load and Practicum.

Instructor:  Espi Ralston, MA, MAT, MA
Tuition:  $850 single; $560 each for groups of three. (may be payable by your employer)

For more information check out the spring 2012 flyer.

Please fill out the registration form and the appropriate payment form below to register for the class.
For more information, please call Espi Ralston: (901) 218-4691

CLICK HERE TO PAY

National Medical Interpreter Exam Review

"Twenty healthcare interpreters attended a very successful workshop on February 6, 2010 to prepare for the National Certification Exam of Medical Interpreters. Espi Ralston, MA, MAT, MA was the instructor for the 8-hour session."

Information about the Health Care Interpreter Training Program

The Health Care Interpreter Training Program  is a specialized training program, offered several times  during  the year, on two consecutive weekends. The next course is scheduled to be offered October-November, 2011. The course is administered by the University of Memphis, Program of  Master of Public Health.

The Health Care Interpreter Training Program  is an intensive and comprehensive course, with modules covering the most important topics in medical interpreting such as the role of the interpreter, modes of interpreting, cultural competence, medical terminology, basic Anatomy, and the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of Medical Interpreters to cite a few.

The course curriculum and materials have been  developed by Kaiser Permanente in partnership with Hablamos Juntos, a nationally recognized project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to increase the number and improve performance of medical interpreters nationwide. The training consists of  thirty (30) hours of class instruction at the University of Memphis, and a ten (10) hour practicum at St. Jude Children´s Research Hospital, Methodist University Hospital and/or the Med. It is based on active and cooperative learning, and enhanced by visual materials and other instructional and learning tools. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of the students have graduated from the training. Each student receives a document of attendance and completion, corresponding to 40 hours of education  at Level I and II respectively, depending on the level that they take.

Some of the former students are currently working as medical interpreters and coordinators of interpreter services at St. Jude, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, the Med, Christ Community, American Way Clinic, Hollywood Clinic, The Health Department, and Jackson Madison County General Hospital. Others are working as free-lance medical interpreters in different clinics in Memphis and surrounding counties. A significant percentage of former students are members of national, local, and State healthcare interpreter associations, and attend professional meetings regularly.

About the course instructor

Espi Ralston holds  master degrees in curriculum and instruction, romance languages, and modern philology. She has 30 years of experience in teaching. She took  Bridging the Gap in Memphis in 1999, and in 2004, she went to Oakland, CA to take the Health Care Interpreter Instructor Training Spring Institute, under the leadership of Gayle Tang, Kaiser Permanente  Director of National Linguistic and Cultural Programs. Ms. Ralston describes the critical need for this program. “Every medical  encounter is a linguistic and cross-cultural encounter. In medical settings and, on a daily basis, healthcare interpreters act as conduits, cultural brokers, clarifiers and advocates in order to help limited English proficient patients receive access to quality health care. In a triadic relationship, a successful outcome depends largely on the efficiency of the interpreter. Thus, the need for hospitals and medical institutions to hire interpreters who understand and know the intricacies of the profession.” Miss Ralston also works as a medical interpreter at St. Jude Children's Research Center in Memphis, TN.

For more information about the course, please contact Espi Ralston, course instructor and recruiter at  (901) 218-4691 or by emailing her at: espiralston@gmail.com Please indicate “Medical Interpreter Training” in the subject line of your email.

"Congratulations to Espi Ralston, Instructor of the School of Public Health's Health Care Interpreter Program, for being the recipient of the Civic Leader Award, given by the local chapter of the National Hispanic Professional Organization at its first Memphis Latino Leadership Awards Banquet. This prestigious award recognizes a Latino professional who provides public service that bridges gaps for the Latino and greater Memphis community. Ms. Ralston was honored for working to improve the quality of medical interpreting in Memphis and the State of Tennessee."