Interpreter (Cantonese or Toisanese)

Tufts Medical Center, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 66,019,000 - 82,524,000; Full time

Job summary

Tufts Medicine is seeking a professional Medical Interpreter to support patients with Limited English Proficiency. You will interpret spoken language, translate documents, and act as a culture broker to prevent miscommunication in a high-stakes medical environment.

Join a dedicated language services team focused on accurate cross-language communication and compassionate patient care. Prior experience and appropriate certifications are required, with on-site duties in a hospital setting.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Medical Interpreter Certification from an accredited college or university OR certification from a medical interpreter training course and passing a competency exam.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and the target language.

Responsibilities

• Interprets the spoken language between English and the target language for patients, physicians and staff.
• Combines language interpretation with cultural context.
• Assists in family meetings with social workers to obtain financial aid for clients.
• Explains procedures, diagnosis, and medical history to non-English speaking patients.
• May accompany patients to operating rooms or other departments when needed.
• Translates correspondence and documents from English into the target language.
• May take on-call requests for emergencies at night and on weekends.
• Maintains confidentiality and complies with HIPAA guidelines.

Skills

Bilingual

Medical terminology

Interpreting techniques

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Cultural awareness

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Medical Interpreter Certification

Job description

Job Profile Summary

This role focuses on performing activities associated with evaluating, developing, recommending, implementing, and carrying out the policies and procedures related to the delivery of high quality patient care. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Language Services duties: Listens to, understands, translates and provides support to those individuals with physical or mental impairments when it comes to language, such as speech therapy or speaking a foreign language. A professional individual contributor role that may direct the work of other lower level professionals or manage processes and programs. The majority of time is spent overseeing the design, implementation or delivery of processes, programs and policies using specialized knowledge and skills typically acquired through advanced education. An entry level role that applies broad theoretical job knowledge typically obtained through advanced education. May require the following proficiency: work is closely supervised, problems faced are not typically difficult or complex, and explains facts, policies and practices related to job area.

Job Overview

Under general supervision, this position provides accurate interpretation for patient/families who have Limited English Proficiency (LEP). This position interprets the spoken language and culture between two or more individuals from English to the target language and back into English again to ensure accurate cross-language communication in a medical environment. May be required to translate written documents from English into the target language or from the target language into English. Acts as culture broker to identify when cultural differences are leading to a misunderstanding on the part of either the provider or patient. Language services are performed in designated areas according to the policies, procedures, philosophy, and objectives of the department and hospital. Works cooperatively within department and other services to create a system of quality health care.

Minimum Qualifications

• 1. High School diploma or equivalent.
• 2. Medical Interpreter Certification from an accredited college or university OR Certification from a Medical Interpreter training course and successful completion of a third-party medical interpreter competency exam
• 3. Bilingual.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1. National Certification for Medical Interpreters.

Duties and Responsibilities

• 1. Interprets the spoken language from English into the target language and from the target language into English for patients, physicians and staff.
• 2. Combines the ability to interpret both culture and language.
• 3. Participates in family meetings with social workers to assist in completing forms, obtaining financial aid for clients, transferring patients, etc.
• 4. Contacts non-English speaking patients to obtain consent signatures, give notification of appointments, and explain procedures, diagnosis, medical history, etc.
• 5. May accompany non-English speaking patients to operating room or other departments when presence is needed. May participate in patient/client care conferences.
• 6. Translates correspondence, brochures, documents, and special diagnostic procedures from English into the target language.
• 7. May be required to take on-call requests to be available for emergencies at night and on weekends.
• 8. Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues to effectively contribute to the working groups achievement of goals, and to help foster a positive work environment.
• 9. Adhere to applicable policies, procedures as they pertain to patient/client care and to applicable personnel qualifications.
• 10. Demonstrates a knowledge and understanding of what to report to the CEO or Chief Compliance Officer when concerns of corporate compliance arise.
• 11. Ensures compliance within guidelines set forth by regulatory agencies (DPH, ERISA etc.) and demonstrates compliance with Home Health Foundation policies and procedures.
• 12. Practices confidentiality principles set by the agency and federal HIPAA/HITECH guidelines.
• 13. Participates in all mandatory in-services.

Physical Requirements

• 1. Prolonged, extensive, or regularly standing/walking.
• 2. Regularly lifts and/or move 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.
• 3. Frequently requires reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching, and climbing stairs.
• 4. Frequent exposure to hazardous chemicals, sick patients, bodily substances, noise and possible exposure to radiation, lasers, electric shock, etc.
• 5. Regularly exposed to the risk of blood borne diseases and other transmissible infections.
• 6. Contact with patients under wide variety of circumstances.
• 7. Specific vision abilities apply including close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.
• 8. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Skills & Abilities

• 1. Ability to read/write and communicate in both languages.
• 2. Ability to provide effective and clear interpretation and communication.
• 3. Knowledge in areas of interpreting techniques and medical terminology, basic anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures and treatments in both English and target language.
• 4. High degree of courtesy and tact required in regular contacts with patients and their families involving patient related information of a sensitive and or/confidential nature.
• 5. Excellent interpersonal skills.
• 6. Ability to function well in very busy situations.
• 7. Responsible and reliable.
• 8. Good organization skills.

Pay Range

Pay Range: $23.04 - $28.80 based on full-time equivalent

About Tufts Medicine

At Tufts Medicine, we want every individual to feel valued for the skills and experience they bring. Our compensation philosophy is designed to offer fair, competitive pay that attracts, retains, and motivates highly talented individuals, while rewarding the important work you do every day. The base pay ranges reflect the minimum qualifications for the role. Individual offers are determined using a comprehensive approach that considers relevant experience, certifications, education, skills, and internal equity to ensure compensation is fair, consistent, and aligned with our business goals. Beyond base pay, Tufts Medicine provides a comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports your health, financial security, and career growth - one of the many ways we invest in you so you can thrive both at work and outside of it.

Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community health care to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Healthcare, an expansive home care network and a large clinically integrated physician network, Tufts Medicine has more than 15,000 dedicated employees and caregivers. The health system came together in 2014 to leverage the experience of its member organizations and integrate their missions to together transform the ways that consumers engage with and experience their care.