Bridging the Gap Interpreter Training
Monday, February 22, 2010  -  Friday, February 26, 2010
West Seattle

CCHCP at the International Medical Interpreter Association (IMIA) Conference
Ira SenGupta and Rose Long presented at the recently concluded 2009 Annual Conference of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) on Sunday, Oct 11 in Boston, MA. Ms. SenGupta spoke on Language Access' Role in Recruitment and Retention in Cancer Clinical Trials. Rose Long presented on Language Access and its Role in Environmental Justice.
, 10/12/2009

2009 Symposium of the National Association of Social Workers, Iowa Chapter
Ira SenGupta presented the keynote speech -From Cultural Bump to Cultural Congruence: Enhancing Cultural Competence in Health and Human Services- at the recently concluded 2009 Symposium of the National Association of Social Workers, Iowa Chapter in Des Moines. The theme of the annual symposium was -Growth, Change, and Competency in a Culturally Diverse World. About 300 social workers attended the meeting ON April 17, 2009 ably coordinated by Kelli Soyer, Executive Director of NASW, Iowa Chapter.
CCHCP, 06/01/2009

CCHCP Presented at National WIC Association's 26th Annual Conference
Ira SenGupta, Executive Director, recently presented on Cultural Competency and Working Effectively with Interpreters at the 26th Annual Conference of the National WIC Association in Nashville, Tennessee. A rich diversity of people access WIC (Women, Infant and Children) services bringing with them worldviews and approaches to diet and nutrition, pregnancy, breastfeeding, alcohol and drug use, family planning, and healthcare that may be different from the WIC staff who serve them. More than 900 WIC staff and administrators attended the conference on May 24 to 27 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.
CCHCP, 06/17/2009

Bridging the Gap Training at the Alaska Immigration Justice Project
On March 9 to 13, 2009, Rose Long, Director of the Bridging the Gap (BTG) Interpreter Training Program at CCHCP, presented the week-long training to 23 participants. The class was a very diverse group, languages represented were Laotian, Yup'ik, Spanish, Tagalog, Arabic, Korean, Nuer, Russian, Hmong, Vietnamese, Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian, Portuguese, and Mandarin. Barb Jacobs, Program Manager of the Language Interpreter Center (LIC) of the Alaska Immigration Justice Project (AIJP)successfully coordinated this training. In 2007, the Municipality of Anchorage awarded the Mayor's Community & Non-profit Organization Diversity Award to AIJP. AIJP is dedicated to protecting the human rights of all Alaskans by providing comprehensive immigration legal services and language interpreter services throughout Alaska. Robin Bronen is the Executive Director.
CCHCP, 05/28/2009

Current events and initiatives

If you are an individual looking for a Bridging the Gap (BTG) training,

please view our list of Licensed Agencies - Level 2 in your area.  Contact either the Cross Cultural Health Care Program or any of our Level 2 licensed agencies for further training information. Please note that enrolling indiscriminately in a BTG training offered by an organization whose license is not current or whose license is not recognized by CCHCP may impact your eligibility to become a BTG trainer or your ability to receive a valid training. For more information, please contact us at bridgingthegap@xculture.org or (206) 860 0329.

Registration is ongoing for the February 22 to 26, 2010 Bridging the Gap Interpreter Training Class in Seattle, WA.

Click here for more information.

State of Utah's Medical Language Interpreter Act Passed

The Medical Language Interpreter Act was passed as a state law in Utah in May, 2009.  Effective immediately, the State of Utah - Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) will issue certification to Medical Interpreters who meet all qualifications in the laws and rules.  The training/examination program DOPL has selected to use as meeting one of the requirements for licensure is the Bridging the Gap interpreter training offered, licensed and copyrighted by the Cross Cultural Health Care Program. 

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Please visit the State of Utah’s website with more information on the law and rules at: http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/medical_language_interpreter.html . 

Bridging the Gap Interpreter Training featured in The Medical Interpreter Video Project

The video about medical interpreters aired on the Seattle Channel (Channel 21) on September 28th but is viewable on the Seattle Channel website at  http://www.seattlechannel.org/CommunityStories/ forever!

The video is produced and directed by Jill Friedberg of Corrugated Films in Seattle.  Jill is also a Bridging the Gap alumna.

Medical Interpretation:  Professional Development and Integration into the Health Care Team

Ira SenGupta, Executive Director of CCHCP, delivered the keynote address:  "Medical Interpretation:  Professional Development and Integration into the Health Care Team" at the recently concluded Medical Interpreter Conference in Indianapolis, IN (June16, 2009).  The conference was supported by St. Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center, Inc. together with its community partners, the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Immigrant Welcome Center, among others.  Reginald Lillie is St. Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center, Inc.'s Program Facilitator for Rural and Urban Access to Health (RUAH).

L to R: Toshiko-sensei, Ira SenGupta-sensei, Kevin-kun (Photo by: Kevin Cole)

"Attending the conference opened my eyes to a new and exciting potential career opportunity and was a great chance to network with professionals inside the field. The highlight of my day at the conference was the ability to talk directly with the keynote speaker about the BTG program." - Kevin Cole, Student at Kanji Camp Japanese Studies Program

Click here to read full article by Kevin Cole

New! Advanced Cultural Competency Training Workshops A new series of advanced training workshops has been developed by the Cross Cultural Health Care Program. Designed to be taught in an 8-hour format, the trainings focus on strategies to end health disparities and on achieving health equity for medically-underserved communities. Each of the advanced trainings is presented with short background information and learning objectives. A variety of interactive instructional methods will be utilized to deliver the content. Relevant case scenarios will assist in skills building. The recommended strategies will enhance effective cross cultural communications and the creation and sustaining of effective personal and professional partnerships for health, social and human services. Please see the Cultural Competency Training portion of our website for more information or email Ira SenGupta to request more information.

CCHCP Publications Interpreter training materials "Communicating Effectively Through an Interpreter" DVD Bilingual medical glossaries in 21 languages including: Spanish, English, Arabic, Chinese, Somali, Portuguese, French, and Russian. Download a catalog Order from our online store

Who we are:

Our key initiatives are:

Cultural Competency Training and Consulting

Bridging the Gap Medical Interpreter Training Program

Research and Information Services through the Northwest Resource Center on CLAS and Health Disparities

We enhance the abilities of health professionals to provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate care.