A Health Care Interpreter Training Program is offered for bilingual-bicultural individuals through the University of Memphis' School of Public Health.

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

Upcoming Class:

Level I

Our next Health Care Interpreter Training Program will be held on five days in April from 12 noon- 6 pm on these dates:

• April 13 (Saturday)
• April 14 (Sunday)
• April 20 (Saturday)
• April 21 (Sunday)
• April 28 (Sunday)

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

Instructor:  Espi Ralston, MA, MAT, MA, CMI-Spanish, CHI. Tuition:  $760 single (may be payable by your employer) plus an additional $90 for the Oral Proficiency Interview to determine if students have the necessary skills to take the course.

For more information check out the Spring 2013 Flyer, the Requirements, and the Course Description.

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 or email her at espiralston@gmail.com

Before purchasing this class you must have already successfully passed the Oral Proficiency Interview.

CLICK HERE TO PAY

Information about the Health Care Interpreter Training Program

The Health Care Interpreter Training Program is a specialized educational program offered several times during the year, on two consecutive weekends. The course is administered by the University of Memphis' Master of Public Health Program in the School of Public Health. It is an intensive and comprehensive course, with modules that cover the basis of medical interpreting such as the roles of the interpreter, modes of interpreting, the protocols of the session, cultural competence, medical terminology, basic Anatomy, Code of Ethics, and laws, standards and regulations relevant to healthcare interpreting, 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 the knowledge and skills 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 currently work as medical interpreters and coordinators of interpreter services at St. Jude, Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, the Med, Christ Community, the Shelby County 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, MA, MAT, MA, CMI-Spanish, CHI, holds master degrees in curriculum and instruction, romance languages, and modern philology. She is also a certified medical interpreter. Ms. Ralston has 30 years of experience in teaching. In 1999, she took Bridging the Gap in Memphis, TN and in 2004, she attended the Health Care Interpreter Instructor Training Spring Institute in Oakland, CA under the leadership of Gayle Tang, Kaiser Permanente Director of National Linguistic and Cultural Programs. In 2011, she completed the Train the Trainer five-day intensive workshop in Nashville, TN taught by Holly Mikkelson and Katherine Allen. 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, there is a great need for hospitals and medical institutions to hire interpreters who understand and know the intricacies of the profession." Ms. 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 email her at: espiralston@gmail.com. Please indicate "Medical Interpreter Course" 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.

Health Care Interpreter Training Program
Fall 2012 Level I

Health Care Interpreter Training Program
Fall 2011 Level I

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

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."