Medical Interpreter

Job Summary:

Summary

Responsible for a variety of oral interpretation, limited written translation and medical escort services to assist limited English Proficient (LEP) patients and their family and healthcare providers in a variety of patient care settings within the Covenant Health System, including remote video/audio interpreting.  The spoken language medical interpreter must have the ability to work with diverse populations from various economic backgrounds and age groups. The ability to work independently as an effective member of a dedicated team in a fast-paced Health Care environment with a variety of customer service needs providing simultaneous and consecutive communication facilitation. Other responsibilities will be to provide support to the Interpreter Services Departments under the direction of the Director/Manager; duties include but are not limited to: staff education, data entry, reminder phone calls.  Individuals must be committed to the provision of interpretation services with a high regard for accuracy, confidentiality and quality.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Supports and promotes the mission and values of Covenant Health Systems and the Catholic Health Ministry.
• Effectively facilitate communication using both source and target language, cultural mediation, and knowledge about accessibility.
• Adheres to federal and state laws regarding medical interpreting as well as system and department policies.
• Ability to endure periods of heavy workload or stress.
• Ability to be objective, articulate, and organized with well-developed work habits; be even-tempered and flexible.
• Ability to attend education/information medical seminars and ability to assimilate material received.
• Ability to maintain good communications and positive working relationships with employees, physicians, other departments and the public.
• Maintain patient confidentiality while independently organizing, planning, scheduling interpreter requests and set appropriate priorities.
• Abides by the national standards of practice and ethics as defined by the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) and the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA).
• Other duties as consistent with this role.

Job Requirements

Job Knowledge and Skills

• Strong aptitude and passion for customer service, teamwork and interpreting.
• Respect for and understanding of our Limited English Proficient (LEP) clients, culture, dialect and beliefs and preferences as it relates to medical care.
• Extensive knowledge of code of ethics and standards of practice (IMIA, NBCMI, and NCIHC).
• Familiarity with the medical profession and its privacy laws (HIPAA) as well as other state and federals laws applied to medical interpreting.

Education and Experience

• 1 year of community/medical interpreting experience strongly preferred,
• Current Driver’s License required,
• Driving record suitable to Covenant Health Systems operations and corporate risk management strongly preferred,
• Certifications such as those endorsed by CCHI or CMI preferred.
• If certifications are not available in your language you are required to pass a language assessment.
• Credentialed in medical interpreting (ie: Bridging the Gap, MiTio, Ascentria Language Bank, Cross-Cultural training, 40-hour accredited medical courses) strongly preferred. 

An equivalent combination of education and experience which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility listed above may be substituted for the above education and experience requirements.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands

Must possess the physical and mental abilities to perform the tasks normally associated with this position that involves a combination of sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, and reaching. Occasional lifting/carrying up to 25 lbs.  Some stress related to high level of responsibility for quality care.

Americans with Disabilities Statement

Must be able to perform all essential functions of this position with reasonable accommodation if disabled.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed.  They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.  Covenant Health reserves the right to modify position duties at any time, to reflect process improvements and business necessity.

Standard of Business Conduct

Every St Joseph Hospital employee is required to abide by the Standards of Conduct and to report any activity that appears to violate the Standards of Conduct.

Covenant Health Mission Statement

We are a Catholic health ministry, providing healing and care for the whole person, in service to all in our communities.

Our Core Values:

•Compassion

We show respect, caring and sensitivity towards all, honoring the dignity of each person, especially the poor, vulnerable and suffering.

•Integrity

We promote justice and ethical behavior, and responsibly steward our human, financial and environmental resources.

•Collaboration

We work in partnership, dialogue and shared purpose to create healthy communities.

•Excellence

We deliver all services with the highest level of quality, while seeking creative innovation.

Applicants, employees and former employees are protected from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, and genetic information (including family medical history).

Comp Range:

Rate of pay displayed reflects the beginning of the pay scale.  At the time of an offer, determination of your offer will reflect your skills and experience as it relates to the position.