All In A Day's Work: Health Interpreter

Q: What's a typical workday like for you?

A: I schedule and supervise nine interpreters in our clinic, whose clientele is 70-80 percent Spanish-speaking, from several different countries. We are there to ensure communication between the doctor and the patient. The doctor briefs the interpreter about each patient. Interpreters remain behind a curtain during the examination because all patients have the right to privacy.

Q: How does your role fit into the bigger healthcare picture?

A: The art of medicine begins with communication between physician and patient. There are unique obstacles, including cultural barriers, which must be overcome when providing healthcare to people who have a limited proficiency in the English language. The healthcare system will succeed or fail in that encounter. We're part of the system that leads to the best outcome possible.

Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?

A: I interact with managers, residents, staff physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, other interpreters and the patients and their families.

Q: Why did you become a medical interpreter?

A: I studied medicine in Venezuela, moved here in 1993 and worked on trying to understand cultural differences and how we learn from each other. I went to the University of Minnesota for a certificate of interpreting in medical settings and became a senior interpreter within the Hennepin County Medical Center system.

Q: What do you like about your work?

A: You get instant gratification when you help somebody with their healthcare problem. We learn so much about different cultures; we have residents from all over the world and we learn so much from each other. My job is not just interpreting. Providing quality healthcare to ethnically diverse patients requires much more cultural flexibility, sensitivity and competence to reveal all the cultural factors that are present in those medical encounters. It's the best job I've had I my whole life.