CCHI Timeline

To learn more about CCHI’s history, click the button at the bottom of this page to read a brief publication about the history of medical interpreter certification in the U.S. and founding of CCHI.

April 6, 2024 – CCHI holds the 2nd National Certification Summit in Houston, TX, in celebration of its 15th anniversary. More than 250 stakeholders attended the Summit, and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo proclaimed April 6th as Healthcare Interpreter Appreciation Day. Read more

November 18, 2023 – The Virtual Skill-Building Mini Conference “Practice Makes Competent” offers an opportunity for interpreters across the world to hone their abilities through performance-based continuing education

October 2023 – The National Interpreter Trainers (NIT) Huddle is created as a forum in which interpreter trainers and educators can interact with each other, discuss innovations and challenges, and share best practices for developing training programs that meet the ever-evolving role of the healthcare interpreter.

June 2023 – The first CoreCHI-Performance™ credentials are awarded

February 11, 2023 – CCHI holds the New Credential Launch Summit: Equitable and Inclusive for All, officially launching the new ETOE exam and CoreCHI-Performance Certification

December 2022 – CCHI conducts the Language Proficiency for Interpreters (LPI) Survey, the results of which will be factored into new LPI standards for certification

June 2022 – CCHI receives re-accreditation of the CHI™-Spanish certification from NCCA until June 30, 2027

May-June 2022 – CCHI conducts the 2022 Job Task Analysis study of the healthcare interpreting profession

June 2021 – The National Language Access Leadership (NLAL) Huddle is created as a forum for healthcare language access program administrators all over the country to discuss innovations, challenges, and best practices to advance language access.

May 2021 – CCHI completes the EtoE Interpreter Testing Study; for the Report Summary click here

April 3, 2020 – CCHI, in collaboration with other organizations, issues the Open Letter on Ensuring Healthcare Interpreters’ Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic

November 14, 2019 – CCHI upgrades its testing systems and starts administering national certification exams at Prometric testing centers

October 12, 2019 – CCHI holds the first National Certification Summit in Minneapolis, MN and online, as part of its 10th anniversary celebration. More than 200 stakeholders attended the Summit on-site and over 400 virtually. Read more

June-October 2019 – CCHI invests in a major upgrade of its scheduling, testing software, and test center network to meet the growing demands

June 2019 – CCHI receives re-accreditation of the CoreCHI™ certification from NCCA (until 6/30/2024). See, in NCCA Directory – search by acronym “CCHI”

June 2018 – CCHI launches the EtoE (English-to-English) Project by convening the EtoE National Task Force Panel. Read more

July 15, 2017 – CCHI awards its inaugural “Discover Healthcare Interpreting CoreCHI” Scholarship to five recipients

June 2017 – CCHI receives re-accreditation of the CHI™-Spanish certification from NCCA

May – July 2016 – CCHI conducts its 2nd national Job Task Analysis study of the healthcare interpreting profession

02.11-12.16 –  A panel of 15 volunteer subject matter experts meets in Morrisville, NC, to start preparing for the 2nd national Job Task Analysis (JTA)

10.05.15 –  New Commissioners are elected as the founding Commissioners complete their second term

August 2015 –  CCHI has reached the benchmark of 2,000 certified interpreters nation-wide. See the national Interpreter Registry for the current number

03.07.15 –  CCHI’s Certified Interpreter Oath is administered for the first time at CHIA’s conference

01.15.15 –  The first recipients of CCHI certifications renew their certification for the first time

07.15.14 – CCHI celebrates its 5th anniversary

06.29.14 – CCHI receives NCCA Accreditation for its CoreCHI™ certification, the only certification available for healthcare interpreters of any language

09.01.13 – CCHI Launches the Continuing Education Accreditation Program (CEAP)
CCHI’s CEAP program assesses, analyzes, and accredits continuing education programs for healthcare interpreters

08.31.13 – CCHI Awards 1,000th Credential
CCHI congratulates 1,000 healthcare interpreters who have earned the nation’s highest credential available to healthcare interpreters and professional recognition of their qualification

12.21.2012 – Improving Opportunities for Healthcare Interpreters with OMH Support

07.9.2012 – CCHI develops CHI™ exam in Arabic and Mandarin thanks to a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Expand CHI™ Certifications

06.29.2012 – CCHI receives NCCA Accreditation for its CHI™-Spanish Certification
CCHI is the first and only organization certifying healthcare interpreters to receive NCCA accreditation

January 2011 – CCHI awards first CoreCHI™ and CHI™-Spanish credentials

October-November 2010 – CCHI administers its first CoreCHI™ and CHI™-Spanish certification exams

December 2009- April 2010 – CCHI conducts its 1st national Job Task Analysis study of the healthcare interpreting profession

September 2009 – CCHI is publicly launched as a national certifying body

July 15, 2009 – CCHI is incorporated as a 501(c)6 non-profit corporation in District of Columbia