Let’s not sugar coat it – this has been a challenging year. The communities we serve, and we ourselves, are facing uncertainty in today’s political climate. Economic pressures, offshoring, and rapid advances in AI are raising real concerns about the future of our profession.  I’m proud to be the new chair of CCHI at this pivotal moment. Our staff and Commissioners are working hard to support our certificants, our profession, and the people we interpret for.

This fall, CCHI launched our Season of Gratitude social media campaign, and your responses were inspiring. On a personal level, I am deeply grateful for my fellow Commissioners, for the interpreters I work alongside and learn from, and for the sense of community we share. Most of all, I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful difference for patients during difficult moments.  And I am so grateful and impressed by the strength and commitment I continue to see across the healthcare interpreting community despite the challenging landscape we all are navigating.

This year also marked an important milestone with the release of our report on the Global Workforce Survey of Healthcare Interpreters. For the first time, we have solid data that tells our story: a diverse, highly educated, and remarkably loyal workforce in a complex profession. This information strengthens our advocacy and helps ground conversations about our work in facts, not assumptions.

Supporting you in the field remains central to CCHI’s mission. This year we added an Advocacy Resources page to our website.  These tools are meant to ensure you feel equipped to advocate for your patients and for our profession. This is also why we introduced the new Ethics continuing education requirement. As AI continues to advance, one thing is clear: ethics cannot be automated. Humans practice ethics. AI does not. Ethical decision-making requires judgment, accountability, and the ability to respond to context, culture, and human emotion in real time. Our code of ethics – and our understanding of our role in healthcare encounters – is a core reason certified interpreters remain essential, especially in high-stakes and sensitive situations. These are times of change, but we remain confident that there will always be a place for certified healthcare interpreters.

Thank you for your professionalism, your compassion, and your commitment. CCHI is proud to support you, and we look forward to continuing this work together in the year ahead.

With gratitude,
Johanna Parker, M.A., FCCI, CHI-Spanish
Chair, Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters

Click here for the video version of this message.

July 15, 2025

Washington, DC

Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI)

We are excited to announce the six recipients of the Spring 2025 cycle of the ETOE™ Exam Scholarship! This scholarship supports interpreters who wish to take their CoreCHI certification to the next level with the performance-based CoreCHI-P™ credential. This Scholarship Cycle was made possible thanks to the sponsorship of CCHI and attendees of the Mini-Conference “Power of Practice” https://cchicertification.org/2025-mini-conference/.

The Spring recipients of the ETOE™ Scholarship, are:

1. Juliane F. Sterner (Portuguese, MA)
2. Maria Gregory (Russian, WA)
3. Jennifer Thomas Shearer (ASL, OR)
4. Zakia Siddiqi (Pashto/Dari/Farsi, WA)
5. Elizabeth Kumbong Amaazee (French, OH)
6. Nancy Reiko Hammond (ASL, CA)

CCHI celebrates these interpreters’ accomplishments as well as their commitment to professional success. They have much to be proud of, and we wish them the best of luck on their testing and certification journey.

CCHI Commissioners and Staff

CCHI welcomes four new Commissioners, representing different stakeholders of the medical interpreting field, to start their three-year term on our Board this year: Amanda M. David, MA, BEI:III, Medical, & Master; RID CI/CT; CoreCHI-P™, William Giller, M.A., CHI™-Spanish, Michael Paasche-Orlow, MD, MA, MPH, and Marisa Rueda Will, CHI™-Spanish.

Amanda M. David has been a practicing sign language interpreter since 2000.  She holds an undergraduate degree from McNeese State University (Lake Charles, LA) in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, a Certificate of Interpreter Apprenticeship from Collin County College (Plano, TX), and a Master’s in Interpreting Studies and Communication Equity from St. Catherine University (St. Paul, MN). Amanda specializes in interpreting for Deaf and hard of hearing medical professionals in their training programs, and interpreting with Deaf/hoh professionals in conference environments.  In 2020, she joined the staff at Dell Med School at UT Austin as a Designated Medical Interpreter. Originally from southwest Louisiana, Amanda has lived in Texas and Florida.  She currently splits her time between Austin, TX, and her hometown in South Louisiana.

William Giller grew up in a bilingual household and was exposed equally to English and Spanish during his formative years. He was educated in both languages and have lived, studied, and worked in both the United States and Spain. He holds a master’s degree in Translation and Interpretation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in English, French, and Spanish. William has been working for Stanford Medicine Children’s Health as a Lead Interpreter and Translator for 5 years. As an interpreter at a pediatric teaching hospital, he has encountered every specialty under the sun and the energy and variety in his day-to-day work has solidified his passion for this field in the profession. Additionally, William sits on the Board of Directors of the Northern California Translators Association as the Digital Content Director.

As a primary care clinician and an internationally recognized expert in the field of health literacy, Dr. Michael Paasche-Orlow has dedicated his career to improving the care of vulnerable populations. He is currently an investigator with ten clinical studies that examine health literacy and doctor-patient communication, various modes of patient education, and empowerment. Dr. Paasche-Orlow has been the lead designer of 12 patient-oriented interactive behavioral informatics programs and have helped create and evaluate a range of patient empowerment and decision support tools. With over 300 peer-reviewed papers, his work has brought attention to the role that health literacy plays in racial and ethnic disparities, improving self-care for patients with chronic diseases, and improving advanced care planning, as well as to the fact that appropriately designed information technologies can be empowering for patients with low health literacy. He has also been active as an investigator and advocate for improving cross-cultural communication and the role of medical interpreters.

Marisa Rueda Will has been a medical interpreter at a Mayo Clinic for over 18 years. She earned a degree in Spanish from Luther College in 2006. She became a Certified Healthcare Interpreter-Spanish in 2012 and a Licensed Interpreter Trainer through Cross Cultural Communications in 2017. In 2020, she became a Simulation Center Instructor. She joined the NCIHC Webinars Work Group in 2022. That same year, she was promoted to a Level III Medical Interpreter at Mayo Clinic. Marisa has presented for the CHIA and ATA conferences, CCHI Summit, Atrium Health Symposium, and NCIHC Home for Trainers Webinar Series. She was accepted to the Masters of Interpreting Studies program through Western Oregon University and will start in fall 2024. In addition to being a full-time staff interpreter and student, she owns an interpreter training and translation business. Marisa specializes in education through storytelling. Her company, Tica Interpreter Training and Translations provides interpreter training based on real patient experiences.

December 15, 2023

Washington, DC
Chicago, IL

Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI)
Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB)

We are delighted to announce the three recipients of the Fall 2023 cycle of the “Discover Healthcare Interpreting” CoreCHI™ Scholarship. This scholarship supports certification of interpreters of languages for which CHI™ certification is not currently available. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Americans Against Language Barriers and Kevin Thakkar, personally, for the contribution to our Fall 2023 scholarship.

Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB) is an Illinois-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization aiming to improve the health of patients with limited English proficiency. They do this by training professional medical interpreters, providing interpreter services to healthcare organizations, and lobbying for policy reform. They envision a future where language services are seamlessly and freely available across the healthcare system.

The Fall 2023 recipients of the “Discover Healthcare Interpreting” CoreCHI™ Scholarship, sponsored by Americans Against Language Barriers, are:

1. Hoi Nam Hannah Liu (Cantonese, CA)
2. Mosammat Umme Halima (Bengali, MA)
3. Devi Lal Sharma Gautam (Nepali, OH)
4. Abdihakim Muhumed (Somali, MN)

CCHI and AALB commend the achievements of the scholarship winners as well as their commitment to professional success. We wish them the best of luck on their testing and certification journey.

CCHI Commissioners and Staff
Americans Against Language Barriers

Dear CCHI Community and Friends,

While drafting this message, it occurred to me that the concept of “end of year” carries diverse meanings for different people, depending on the context in which it is framed. Whether tied to the conclusion of a fiscal year, service or calendar year, or to a personal milestone, the end of a year can serve as a multifaceted juncture for reflection, closure, and anticipation.

On the corporate front, the end of a fiscal year marks a critical period – a time when the balance sheets tell a story of fiscal responsibility, success, and areas for improvement. For organizational decision-makers, “end of year” prompts a meticulous review of goals set, objectives met, and recalibration strategies for the future.

For many, the end of a service year or calendar year also signifies a collective pause – a moment to look back at the chapters written in the preceding twelve months, to engage in introspection, to assess achievements, challenges faced, and personal growth experienced. As the calendar turns, there is an inclination to embrace the symbolic freshness of a new beginning.

2023 has been a momentous and historic year for CCHI. Some of its highlights included:

• The launch of a new credential, CoreCHI-Performance™, available to interpreters of all languages – the most inclusive healthcare interpreter certification to date!
• Updates of certification exams based on the 2022 Job Task Analysis (JTA).
• The launch of the National Interpreter Trainers Huddle (NIT), a forum in which educators can interact with each other, discuss innovations and challenges, and share best practices for developing training programs that support the ever-evolving role of the healthcare interpreter.
• Updated language proficiency eligibility requirements (LPI).
• The first Virtual Interpreter Skill-Building Mini-Conference – offering 100% of the performance-based CE hours required for certification renewal – which drew a crowd of more than 830 attendees!

As we conclude another year of impact for CCHI, we express profound gratitude for your unwavering dedication to closing gaps in access to healthcare for immigrant and Deaf and hard of hearing communities nationwide and to raising the public profile of our profession. Your individual roles as nationally certified healthcare interpreters (a cohort numbering more than 5,000 strong!), educators, language justice advocates, and language access program administrators are all pivotal in ensuring that every individual receives the high-quality care that they deserve, regardless of language proficiency.

Consider the impact you’ve personally made throughout the year – the moments of clarity you provided, the comfort you offered, the lives you touched – each encounter a testament to your competence and compassion. By periodically reflecting on these accomplishments, you not only celebrate your victories but also gain insights into your growth and potential areas for further development.

Now and in the future, let’s collectively embrace the power of goal setting. Define objectives that align with your professional aspirations, whether attaining a new credential, engaging in regular deliberate practice with a performance improvement goal, or deepening your knowledge in a specific area of our field. Break down these goals into achievable steps, turning them into a roadmap, or personal competence development plan that pushes you forward towards mastery.

CCHI is eager for 2024 – another historic year, this one marking the 15th anniversary of CCHI’s incorporation as a 501(c)6 nonprofit and its public debut as a national certifying body! The celebration will kick off on April 6th in Houston with the 2nd National Certification Summit “Setting the Course for the Next 15.” Join us as an attendee or presenter, and be determined to have a full share in continuing the celebration by promoting national healthcare interpreter certification throughout the year! Another way to celebrate CCHI is to make a contribution to advance national certification. Thank you for being a part of the progressive and pioneering community that moves our mission forward.

In essence, “end of year” is a versatile concept, weaving together threads of time, accomplishment, accountability, and aspiration. It’s a juncture that invites pause, reflection, and recalibration – whether in the broader context of a society, an organization steering through financial cycles, or an individual navigating the ebbs and flows of life.

Looking forward, let optimism be a guiding light. Together, let’s set ambitious yet attainable goals, knowing that our collective efforts contribute to a more inclusive and compassionate healthcare landscape. Now and in the years to come, may we continue to seek out renewed inspiration, abundant opportunities for growth, and fulfillment of the aspirational pursuit of a brighter tomorrow.

Warmly, and with deep gratitude,

Vonessa Costa, CCHI Chair

This update is shared with permission from a message posted to the NCIHC listserv by Malvina Gregory, Director – Interpreter & Cross Cultural Services at MaineHealth:

You may have heard how Maine’s Deaf community has been shaken by the recent Lewiston, ME shootings. There was a group of Deaf community members who were participating in a cornhole tournament at one of the bars where the shootings occurred and many were injured. Four members of the Deaf community were killed: Billy Brackett, Brian McFarlane, Steve Vozzella, and Joshua Seal.

Joshua Seal was a prominent Deaf Interpreter and the Director of Pine Tree Society, one of Maine’s ASL Interpreting providers. He was a strong advocate for language access, both in his professional role as well as in his free time. During the pandemic, Josh served as the primary interpreter for the CDC and partnering with Dr. Nirav Shah to provide regular news updates, earning him praise and national recognition for his skill and unflappably professional interpretations. He was active and well known in his Deaf community, serving as a member of Maine Medical Center’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patient & Family Advisory Committee more importantly mentoring many youth as the founder of Pine Tree Camp Dirigo Experience, a summer camp for deaf children. Josh is survived by his wife and four young children. He meant so much to so many, and we will feel his loss for a long time. Maine’s interpreting community is in deep mourning, having lost not only many of our patients and friends, but also one of our best and brightest.

People have asked what they can do to help. Here are a few ways:

• If you are an ASL interpreter in the Northeastern part of the USA, you can sign up to assist with interpretation needs that are arising as a result of the shootings. There are paid and volunteer opportunities. Three companies (Pine Tree Society, Mary Jane Grant Interpreting, and Partners Interpreting) have joined together to create a website to coordinate the many interpreting needs: news interviews, counseling sessions, relief shifts to cover for mourning interpreters, and more. Sign up hereàMaine Deaf Community (aslinterpretermaine.com)
• Contribute to one of the GoFundMes established to support the victims’ families. Maine Association of the Deaf’s website lists the current fundraisers: Contribute – Maine Association of the Deaf (deafmaine.org)