This month we have chosen to spotlight Yoshi McClanahan for her excellent interpreting and customer service skills! We are all grateful to have Yoshi as a part of our team!

Here is a little about Yoshi:

What languages do you interpret?  

I interpret Japanese and English languages.

How long have you been an interpreter?

I started out as an in-house interpreter and sales manager 25 years ago.  I have been interpreting full time for the last six years.

Do you hold any special certificates or awards?

I am certified to teach the Japanese Language.

What city do you live in?

Camas, Washington

What is your favorite aspect of providing interpreting services?

The aspect I enjoy most is bringing satisfactory service to LEPs (Limited English Proficients)  in need at the very moment they feel most vulnerable by becoming their voice.  Situations range from medical emergencies, multiple interpreter conversations with hearing impaired LEPs, LEPs facing deportation, or roadside assistance.

The most rewarding thing is feeling and understanding that you make a difference in people’s lives.  I love the flexibility of working out of my home while I do what I love most so that I can attend the activities my three children are involved in from baseball, golf, gymnastics and ballet.

If you attended the 2012 ALC conference you may have heard Bill or his associate Kathleen Diamond speak on the progress Committee F43 has made to publish national standards for the industry covering these three subcategories.  The final draft for subcommittee F43.01 on Interpretation is now complete and has been approved, which means we are one quarter of the way en route to a completed ASTM standard!  Additionally, a final draft for Subcommittee F43.03 on Translation is expected to be finished by October of this year.

Looking forward, a national standard for LSCs backed by the ASTM will create a first-ever industry certification for companies, setting quality apart from quantity in the field.  Company certification could also inhibit price erosion, a trend that has affected the industry over recent years.  Additionally, the burden will be taken off individual interpreters to become certified, mandating that clients search for ASTM accredited companies, knowing these companies’ practices for interpreter hiring and accreditation are approved by a national organization for best practices.

Certified Languages has been and remains a diamond sponsor for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) and supports their efforts to build and grow testing for interpreters to become personally certified in their language(s).  The F43 Committee on Languages needs volunteers for its subcommittees’ working groups.  If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please reach out to us and we will connect you with a working group organizer as well as answer questions.  Enjoy your summer and we look forward to reporting next year when the process is complete!

Because of our work in the healthcare industry, we fall under the federal regulations for HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).  As part of complying with the HIPAA Privacy regulations, all employees are required to take and complete a one hour HIPAA Awareness Training annually.  This training provides an overview of the HIPAA Privacy regulations as well as information and guidelines on each person’s responsibilities under HIPAA to keep information private and confidential.

Each employee must pass a test covering the following items:

Introduction to HIPAA

Transactions, Code Sets, and Identifiers

Privacy

Security

ARRA/HITECH Act of 2009/2010

Implementation

In addition to annual HIPAA training and testing, both CLI employees and contractors must sign a Statement of Neutrality and Confidentiality at the time of hire. All contractors must pass a criminal background check and must be versed in conduct, procedures, and the professional code of ethics during the hiring process.

CLI closely monitors adherence to confidentiality policies by evaluating all customer service employees and independent contractors on a regular basis throughout the year. All contractors are required to have a private, secure space to work, a land line telephone, and a shredder for all notes at the end of their shift. All internal CLI employees have a security card badge to access the building and work within rigorous IT security standards.

Additionally, CLI is Safe Harbor Certified and maintains compliance with the OFAC, EPLS and OIG.

If you have any questions regarding our privacy policies and procedures, please feel free to contact Jen Schade at jenscertifiedlanguagescom.

This month we would like to recognize Portuguese interpreter Stephanie Cooper for her outstanding professional and customer service accomplishments.

Here is a short interview with Stephanie:

What languages do you interpret?

I interpret Portuguese, Spanish, and Hebrew. For CLI, I interpret only Portuguese.

How long have you been an interpreter?

I have been an interpreter for over 15 years.

Do you hold any special certificates or awards?

I was certified by ATA* in 2001 (Portuguese>English). I passed the test the first time.

What city do you live in?

I live in Philadelphia, PA

What is your favorite aspect of providing interpreting services?

I like interpreting service because of the variety of situations and responses one has to deal with on a daily basis. The important thing is to keep a positive attitude, and remember that you are there only to facilitate communication.

Thank you Stephanie for your continued customer service excellence and for participating in our Interpreter Spotlight!!

*American Translators Association

Reach your target market and support the Association of Language Companies at the same time! With opportunities to sponsor, exhibit and/or advertise, you can make the personal connections so important to your business, gain the visibility you need and become an integral part of ALC.

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You won’t want to miss the most exciting ALC conference ever! Join your ALC colleagues in New Orleans, May 16-19, 2012 for this once a year opportunity to reach your target market! Exhibit and/or sponsor a package or event at the conference and demonstrate your support for ALC and its members while bringing attention to your company. For more information, Grace Jan at 240-404-6479 or gjanmgmtsolcom  (gjanmgmtsolcom)  .

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There are a lot of subtleties in language. Regions of every country have their own dialects, sentence structure is different for different languages and each dialect can have multiple types of slang.

Raytheon BBN has been given the almost-impossible task of developing a device that can perform two-way speech-to-speech translations, among other things. Now, I don’t doubt a comprehensive translator can come from this, I doubt that any device can effectively translate human communication.

The reason actual, human translators are so useful is because they master languages in order to make sure subtleties are not lost. Words develop entirely new meanings depending on regions and social status. Speaking from personal experience, a person from New England using the word “wicked” in a sentence is not using a dictionary definition of wicked (unless, in fact, they are using the dictionary definition of wicked). A translator can recognize dialects and slang, guaranteeing that there are no misunderstandings. Any device that wants to be nearly as effective as a human translator needs to be able to understand the context of each word depending on the region and its position in the sentence.

A device that would translate speech would also need to be able to deal with incredibly thick accents. Even native speakers will have their own way of using their language. There are clear differences in how someone from Boston speaks when compared to someone from the South, or even between different cities in the same state. In countries that don’t have such widespread communication, the ones were translators are needed most, accents can sound like another language even if they aren’t using a different dialect.

Slang is an entirely different beast for a device that performs translation to deal with. They can be entire phrases that aren’t supposed to be taken literally (a lounge lizard was not a reptile) or words that are used to mean something other than the definition (the wicked example). Each dialect can have its own slang, and being able to distinguish between dialects and whether or not a word is being used as slang are skills a human translator would have that a machine would have difficultly replicating.

In a place where any slight error in communication can lead to a loss of life, it’s important that we don’t forget just how complicated language is. There’s a reason human translators are still an important part of diplomatic relations and businesses.

Originally posted here.

Click here to read the LEP Data Brief from the Migration Policy Institute, or visit www.migrationinformation.org for more information.

Here is a little from Amira herself:

I’m an Arabic, Chaldean and Assyrian interpreter. I’ve been an interpreter for 5 years now. I don’t hold any awards or [official] certifications but I have an academic and practical background in medicine. I reside in Arizona.  My favorite aspect of providing interpreting service is working with diverse range of fields, in particular the medical field. It is such a thrill when I assist in delivering babies and hear their first cry on the phone.
To read more of our Interpreter Spotlights, check out our “Interpreter Profiles” category in the right-hand sidebar.

COLUMBUS, Ind. (AP) — Elsa Miller looked at the 17-year-old boy, listened carefully as he explained in Spanish the chest pains he was experiencing and relayed his words in English to Dr. Dekui Zhang, who was examining the boy at Volunteers in Medicine.

Miller, standing behind the seated doctor, also relayed to the boy questions from Zhang, who doesn’t speak Spanish.

She has served as a medical interpreter for Volunteers in Medicine for more than six months and represents a local solution to a nationwide push to promote certification of medical interpreters for safety reasons.

Because of the growth of the non-English-speaking population in the U.S., and federal laws that require services be understood by people with limited English skills, medical interpreters are in increasing demand.

“Persons who are bilingual are not necessarily interpreters,” said Laura Hurt, director of Volunteer Services at Columbus Regional Hospital. “They have to know medical terminology, learn the role of the interpreter and a code of ethics.”

No nationwide medical interpreter standards exist. Different organizations offer medical interpreter certifications, but few states endorse them. Indiana is not one.

Columbus Regional Hospital used a grant to pay for 22 adults, including five of its staff members and 11 students, to participate in a medical interpreter training program, called Bridging the Gap. The program is offered by Cross Cultural Health Care Program, a nonprofit organization that helps underserved communities receive full access to quality health care that is culturally and linguistically appropriate.

Hurt said health care officials here hope to use the program to create a bank of interpreters for community organizations. For example, people could call Su Casa Columbus to request a certified interpreter.

Miller, also a court interpreter, has volunteered at VIM for 10 years, but only occasionally as an interpreter until she took the course.

“I do this to increase my vocabulary in the medical field, and I like helping people,” Miller said.

Growing need

The non-English speaking population of the U.S. grew 140 percent from 1980 to 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Also according to the Census, Bartholomew County’s population grew by 5,359 people since 2000, and Hispanic and Asian residents accounted for 83 percent of the growth. The county added 3,164 Hispanics and 1,274 Asians.

Locally, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Indian languages most commonly require the help of a medical interpreter, Hurt said.

Carol Fogler, the English as a Second Language parent liaison at Taylorsville Elementary, took the Bridging the Gap course in Indianapolis this spring.

“I go on several mission trips . and I wanted to be fully equipped to interpret medical terms and emergency situations,” she said.

Fogler said she’s noticed that she has become more of a passive facilitator when she’s interpreting medical information between parents of students and school nurses.

“In the past I might step in and offer thoughts and words, and now I just allow (them) to communicate,” she said.

Federal law also creates a need for medical interpreters.

Executive Order 13166, signed by President Bill Clinton in 2000, requires federal agencies and agencies that receive federal funding to provide services in a manner that people with limited English proficiency can understand.

The 17-year-old boy whose condition Miller interpreted to Zhang said he liked having an interpreter present, even though he knew some English.

“It is very helpful because it helps me understand the things I can’t, and it makes me feel better,” the boy, who asked that his name not be used, said through Miller.

Zhang said most doctors lack the time to learn another language because of the time spent treating patients or learning new medical information.

“Even though we do a thorough exam, without communication we can’t treat (patients),” he said.

Originally posted here.

Certified Languages International (CLI) provides high-quality interpreting and translating services to hospitals, government entities, and public and private businesses throughout the United States.

In the event of a natural or manmade disaster, it can be presumed with some certainty that medical facilities in the affected region will experience a dramatic increase in volume, resulting in a dramatic increase in the need for language services.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining languages services in such a scenario, CLI has created and implemented a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and an Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP):

• The BCP provides a planned response in the unlikely event of a significant disruption to CLI’s ability to deliver language services.
• The EPP is a planned response by CLI to natural or manmade disasters that result in a dramatic increase in the need for language services.

In addition, CLI has an ongoing Risk Assessment program that ensures regular review and proactive planning.

Business Continuity Plan

The Business Continuity Plan (BCP) provides a planned response in the unlikely event of a significant disruption to CLI’s ability to deliver language services.

Our two Call Centers (Portland, OR and Phoenix, AZ) are designed to provide redundancy, capacity, and disaster recovery fail over to the surviving office.  Both offices have sufficient servers, phone infrastructure, and mirrored databases to provide on-going business operations in the unlikely event of a disruptive event at either site.  By having the second office located in Arizona, CLI achieves the added value of geo-diversity with the Portland, OR area.

In simple terms, the BCP addresses three types of service disruptions, increasing in severity and impact:

As an additional measure, CLI has entered into a Mutual Aid pact with another Over-the-phone provider, whereby our entire database is rerouted to their facility remotely, from our back-up data storage site, offering total transfer from/to the secondary provider, whether it is CLI or the other provider.  This will allow seamless provision of service without interruption.

Emergency Preparedness Plan

The Emergency Preparedness Plan is our planned response to natural or manmade disasters that result in a dramatic increase in the need for language services.

Our goal is to respond to any emergency in such a way that the reaction and subsequent actions taken are:

1)      Seamless to the point that the customer does not notice any change or interruption in service, until they are notified in our Customer Notification Procedure (when necessary).

2)      Sufficient to ensure successful handling of the additional volume and subsequent need our customers will experience as a result of an emergency.

The list of possible emergencies for which CLI needs to be prepared is long.  Some most likely and common emergencies include:

• Natural Disasters
• Manmade Disasters (War/Industrial Accidents/Terrorism)
• Infrastructure breakdowns (Severed fiber-optic telecom cable, Industrial sabotage, and destructive computer viruses).

Any disaster is unique, but CLI has developed a matrix to be used in case of any disaster. In the event of an emergency, CLI activates an emergency management team, each with specific responsibilities from the following categories:

• Information Technology
• Communications
• Staffing
• Facilities
• Customer Notification

Members of the Emergency Management Team carry each carries an emergency contact card with mobile phone, home address and phone, personal email address, etc.  The team members are available 24 hours a day.

Although each manager has specific tasks to accomplish as listed above, it is the responsibility of the entire team to ensure that each of the 5 areas are covered. This ensures that all aspects of the emergency are dealt with in the case of one manager being unavailable.  When an emergency or exercise occurs, the 5 team members join to assess the extent of the emergency, and to draw up a specific plan of action based on the particulars of the emergency.

Emergency Management Infrastructure:

CLI has an infrastructure in place, which allows increase and/or portability of the information management that is the core of our service.

• To handle the increase in volume which is to be expected in the event of a natural or manmade disaster emergency, CLI always maintains N+ 40% Circuit capacity, so that there is always excess capacity than can be use to handle increased call volume.
• All administrative workstations at CLI have been configured to be used as an additional CSR work station.
• All Administrative staff receives cross training in Operations. This allows CLI to effectively double its operational capability within minutes of an emergency. The Emergency Management Team coordinates this change over.
• CLI has two Call Centers (Portland, OR and Phoenix, AZ), designed to provide redundancy, capacity, and disaster recovery fail over to the surviving office.  Both offices have sufficient servers, phone infrastructure, and mirrored databases to provide on-going business operations in the unlikely event of a disruptive event at either site.  By having the second office located in Arizona, CLI achieves the added value of geo-diversity with the Portland, OR area.
• Our communications platform utilizes multiple carrier vendors, with separate ingress/egress through the business park.  We have agreements in place to provide the ability to shift call traffic to the surviving Carriers if necessary.  Because we provide emergency services, the Vendor has flagged our accounts and circuits as “Medical Emergency” accounts, providing instant access to a live engineer who will can make the necessary changes in service, and investigate our service issue prior to any other service calls.
• The interpreters used by CLI are located across the U.S. Our business model encourages using interpreters wherever they are, which has resulted in a very broad regional base of interpreters. In case of an emergency that cuts off service to one part of the country, CLI will merely utilize a different interpreter of the same language located in another region of the U.S. CLI is confident that it has sufficient coverage of the languages which will be needed, duplicated in a myriad of different geographical regions.

No one can predict and prepare for all emergencies. CLI believes that by having a team established to manage an emergency, along with the infrastructure which gives us the tools to react to that emergency, we can deal with whatever emergent need we might encounter.