Medical Interpreter, CMI-Spanish, CHI

• May 2007 - Present

-I make oral communication possible between patients and providers who do not speak the same language and have different cultural backgrounds. -I serve as language conduit and cultural broker to LEP/NEP patients from different Spanish-speaking and francophone countries.- I translate documents from English-Spanish/Spanish-English for the Department of Interpreters' Services at St. Jude.- I also supervise and mentor medical interpreting students from the Health Care Interpreter Program that I teach at the University of Memphis, who come to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to do part of their ten-hour Practicum.

Director and Instructor, Health Care Interpreter Program

• 2007 - Present

I supervise and teach one of the first two medical interpreter courses accredited by the International Medical Interpreters' Association (IMIA) in the US. We use the Kaiser Permanente Curriculum and materials developed by Gayle Tang. Since we are an accredited program, we follow closely the medical interpreting training standards set by IMIA. Our program consists of forty hours of classroom learning at the University of Memphis campus and a ten-hour Practicum at St.Jude Children's Research Hospital, Methodist-Le Bonheur Health Care Systems and the One-Regional Hospital in Memphis, TN. The program was established in 2003 and moved to the University of Memphis in 2007. Since then, the number of students has significantly increased. There is a great demand to take levels I and II. Our students received a certificate after having successfully completed a total of 50 hours. Former students of us are currently working as medical interpreters/coordinators of interpreter services at major hospitals in Memphis and West Tennessee.

Director

• 2007 - Present

Director, RWJF En Memphis Hablamos Juntos (Planning Phase)

• 2003 - 2005

-Worked as director, planning phase, En Memphis We Speak Together, a one-million dollar highly competitive grant-based project from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, TN to address increasing communication barrier issues for Latino patients. Activities and interventions:- Improve the quality of dual role and dedicated interpreters in the demonstration environments -Work with local educational institutions to better prepare current and future interpreters and health care professionals-Develop organizational capacity to support, monitor and continously improve language services-Improve bilingual capacity at all access points and test innovative ways to use technology-Develop Spanish language materials and contribute to recommendations for the development of national productsDevelop a communication plan to promote internal and external support at work and disseminate results

Instructor, Hablamos Juntos- Kaiser Permanente Health Care Interpreter Certificate Program

• 2003 - 2005

Taught a 40-hour medical interpreting training course specifically designed by Kaiser Permanente for the RWJF Hablamos Juntos' demonstration sites and partnering educational institutions.Participants included medical students, residents, prospective healthcare and existing interpreters.Students received a certificate after having successfully completed the course.First medical interpreter training course taught in an academic institution in Tennessee.

Director, Latino Health Programming

• 2001 - 2005

-Managed and supervised: -Salud para Todos, (Health for All Project), Aetna Grant: Cultural Competency Training for healthcare teams to promote cultural sensitivity education for multidisciplinary teams of providers and students of health professions in four counties, West Tennessee.-Para los Ninos Project (For the Children Project): obesity and diabetes prevention. Community intervention to reduce obesity and diabetes risk in Latino children and families-Comenzando Bien Project (Beginning Well Project), March of Dimes grant: promoting prenatal care for Hispanic women. Promote early culturally sensitive prenatal care for Latinas.

Co-owner

• 1999 - 2003

-A diversified portfolio of translation services. Examples include translation work for major healthcare systems in TN and international hotel companies.-Instructor of Spanish language and cultural competence workshops for healthcare providers -A diversified portfolio of translation services. Examples include translation work for major healthcare systems in TN and international hotel companies.-Instructor of Spanish language and cultural competence workshops for healthcare providers

Instructor

• Aug 1990 - May 1998

-Spanish instructor (language and literature courses)-Director, Maymester in Spain, Rhodes Study Abroad Program, Madrid, Spain, Summer 1997-Chair of Rhodes Faculty Annual Fund Drive Campaign, 1997-98-Faculty Leader, United Way Campaign, 1997-98-Member of the Admissions and Financial Aid Committeee, 1996-98-Advisor, 1992-1998-Member of the Bellingrath and Hyde Committee, 1996 -Spanish instructor (language and literature courses)-Director, Maymester in Spain, Rhodes Study Abroad Program, Madrid, Spain, Summer 1997-Chair of Rhodes Faculty Annual Fund Drive Campaign, 1997-98-Faculty Leader, United Way Campaign, 1997-98-Member of the Admissions and Financial Aid Committeee, 1996-98-Advisor, 1992-1998-Member of the Bellingrath and Hyde Committee, 1996