Affordable Language Services offers intensive training program for top medical interpreters

Aug. 23, 2010 - PRLog -- Cincinnati, OH – Interpreters are a valuable asset to medical facilities, hospitals and businesses worldwide. However, interpreters with special training in cultural sensitivities, medical terminology, interpreter ethics and boundaries are even more valuable.

Affordable Language Services in Cincinnati, Ohio is hosting Bridging the Gap, the leading medical interpreter training program in the US this summer and autumn.

“I first took this course in 2002 and it completely changed my view on what a properly trained medical interpreter’s responsibilities are,” said Lynn Elfers, owner.

Elfers requires all medical interpreting staff (for common languages such as Spanish) of Affordable Language Services to take this course; something no other translation or interpretation agency in the area does.

“We are the only licensed agency in Cincinnati,” said Elfers, “Our clients are confident in us because of how highly trained our interpreters are.”

Data shows that untrained interpreters make lots of mistakes that can create more possible liabilities.

“Sometimes, these mistakes lead to a mistrial in a legal setting, or even to something that endangers a patient’s health,” said Elfers. “When we send our interpreters out to a job, they are as highly trained as possible.”

Many hospitals and medical offices cannot afford to keep full-time medical interpreters on staff. As a result, untrained bilingual employees often end up as the go-between in interactions between doctors and patients.

“The reality is, it’s potentially unsafe to do that; for both the patient and the medical facility,” said Elfers. “There are some bilingual persons who do know medical terms or legal terms in both languages. Consent forms are critical to be understood 100%. Proper ethical procedures and how to handle unknown terms are part of the knowledge you gain through Bridging the Gap.”

Bridging the Gap focuses on developing medical terminology, interpreter ethics and boundaries, with an emphasis on culture and its role in communication.

Affordable Language Services is offering two Bridging the Gap training sessions. The first is June 18-20 and 25-27 and the second is November 5-7 and 12-14 and costs $450. The cost includes the Bridging the Gap manual, all class materials and a language readiness assessment.

More information is available at www.affordablelanguageservices.com


Affordable Language Services is an interpretation, translation and language training company. Our mission is to remove language as a barrier to communication.

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