Past CCHI Webinars

This webinar, presented by Andrea Henry, CHI-Spanish, and Kathy Murphy, MSN, RN, PCNS-BC, PNP-BC, was held on August 8, 2024.

CE hours accredited (live attendees only): 1.5 general CE hours, CEAP ID #10463

Achieving equal outcomes for vulnerable patients often hinges on overcoming language barriers with professional interpreters. It also depends on addressing additional disparities that can be equally disruptive in the path towards health equity. In the Heart Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), the partnership between the medical team and the interpreter team has played a pivotal role in achieving equal outcomes for pediatric cardiac surgical patients. And their success goes beyond mere message conversion. By adopting the interpreter-as-practitioner model, interpreters at CHOA collaborate closely with the medical team, navigating health literacy disparities, distinctions in cultural values and expectations, and overall confusion about how the US healthcare system works.

This presentation explored CHOA’s 20-year journey within its Heart Center, highlighting the evolution of the patient teaching coordinator program (PTC) and the implementation of numerous interventions aimed at improving heart surgery outcomes for pediatric patients. Integral to these efforts are CHOA’s interpreter-practitioners, who negotiate and collaborate with PTCs and the medical team, and in doing so, have contributed to erasing barriers and achieving equal outcomes for our Hispanic/Latinx/Latino pediatric patients.

The presenters shared insights and successes to illustrate how this integrated and interdisciplinary approach not only addresses communication barriers, but also encourages more trust, alignment of goals, and relationship-building between the medical team and the families that they serve– especially in prolonged, complex cases.

This webinar, presented by Mara Youdelman, J.D., LL.M., was held on May 22, 2024.

CE hours accredited (live attendees only): 1.5 general CE hours, CEAP ID #10463

Recording now available on YouTube

The Update to Section 1557 regulations is FINALLY here! Released by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, the highly anticipated updated regulations implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act emphasize nondiscrimination standards for healthcare providers and health insurance companies. These updates mark a significant milestone by reinforcing stringent prohibitions against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity among other factors), age, and disability. CCHI Commissioner and Managing Director of Federal Advocacy at the National Health Law Program, Mara Youdelman, J.D., LL.M. breaks down the intricacies of the regulatory changes and explains how these changes may impact the patient populations that we all serve. In addition, her presentation explores the practical implications for healthcare organizations and outlines the steps necessary to achieve compliance with the updated regulations.

This webinar, presented by Mila Golovine, was held on September 6th, 2023.

By the nature of the work they do, interpreters have the opportunity to facilitate communication for vulnerable populations in society. To assist interpreters in being prepared to provide language access to these groups, this presentation explored trauma from the perspective of the interpreter. Participants were introduced to the concept of trauma and how it changes the way individuals think and communicate. We also discussed two concepts related to care for survivors: Trauma-Informed Care and Trust Based Relationship Intervention (TBRI). The presentation also touched on how language and cultural competency play an important role in delivering trauma-informed care, as well as strategies for managing difficult interpreting encounters when working with victims of trauma.

CE hours accredited: 1.5 hr, CEAP ID #09915

Presenter: Mila Golovine

This webinar, presented by Nicole Johnson Fayne and Blanca Martinez Jimenez, was held on August 16th, 2023.

One of the most difficult aspects of an interpreter’s job can present itself when an oncology patient is approaching end of life, especially when this patient is a minor. It is important for the interpreter to help providers navigate the cultural and ethical considerations when offering compassionate care. This presentation explained the interpreter’s role in a pediatric oncology palliative care setting. The presenters discussed different strategies on how to prepare for and communicate effectively during emotionally heavy conversations between families and providers as they discuss the often-taboo subject of “death and dying.”

CE hours accredited: 1 hr, CEAP ID #10083-17

Presenters: Nicole Johnson Fayne and Blanca Martinez Jimenez

ASL interpretation for this webinar was sponsored by LanguageLine Solutions.

This webinar, presented by Elizabeth Guinle-Salter, was held on May 25th, 2023.

The interpreter’s hearing is their instrument for connecting with clients and their livelihood within their profession. The increase in demand for interpreters to work both remotely and/or in person has posed many challenges when trying to communicate effectively and optimize the interpreting experience. Interpreters have few tools to care for their hearing and prevent hearing injuries. Hearing health protection strategies are necessary to perform interpreting work effectively. This session focused on arming interpreters with strategies to protect their hearing and prevent injury, providing ways to self-advocate, and sharing best care strategies to optimize their hearing during interpreting work.

CE hours accredited: 1.5 hrs, CEAP ID #09818

Presenter: Elizabeth Guinle-Salter

ASL interpretation for this webinar was sponsored by GLOBO.

For “handouts” from this webinar, including information from the American Academy of Audiology and scripts for self-advocacy related to hearing health, click here.

This webinar, presented by speech-language pathologists Caitlin Cummings and John Munday, was held on March 29th, 2023.

Providers on multidisciplinary medical teams rarely receive training on how to collaborate with their interpreter colleagues to deliver the best care to their patients, both medically and linguistically. Bilingual speech-language pathologists (SLPs) offer a unique perspective regarding these challenges and can help bridge the gap between content and language-experts. The presenters explained a series of initiatives implemented in 2021-2022 to improve the incorporation of interpreters and coordination of care for children with cleft lip and palate within a craniofacial clinic at a large pediatric medical institution. They also highlighted relevant literature and general and Spanish-specific terminology considerations for craniofacial anomalies.

CE hours accredited: 1.5 hrs, CEAP ID #10124

Presenters: Caitlin Cummings, MA, MA, CCC-SLP, and John Munday, MS CCC-SLP, TSSLD-BE

CCHI has officially LAUNCHED the new performance certification credential – CoreCHI-Performance™! This credential adds a performance tier of certification for interpreters of all languages, raising best practices across the language access field.

In this follow-up to the New Credential Launch Summit held on February 11, 2023, CCHI Executive Director Natalya Mytareva, MA, CoreCHI, ICE-CCP, answers questions about both the CoreCHI-Performance certification credential and the ETOE exam, including:

• Who qualifies for the CoreCHI-Performance credential?
• Why is it beneficial to take the new ETOE exam in March-April?
• What activities will CoreCHI-P candidates need to complete on the ETOE exam?
• And live questions from the audience.

CCHI strongly encourages all current CoreCHI certificants to register and take the new ETOE exam during the first testing window, from March 14-April 12, 2023.

CCHI is launching the new performance certification credential – CoreCHI-P™ – for interpreters of all languages. This credential adds a performance-based level of certification for interpreters of all languages, raising best practices across the language access field.

In this webinar held on January 19th, 2023, our Executive Director Natalya Mytareva, MA, CoreCHI, ICE-CCP, explains the meaning of the new CoreCHI-P credential and the logistics of registering for and taking the new ETOE™ Interpreting Exam that is needed to obtain it. CCHI strongly encourages all current CoreCHI certificants to register and take the new ETOE exam during the first testing window, from March 14-April 12, 2023.

NOTE: This webinar is informational and does NOT qualify for CE hours (no certificate of attendance was issued).

In this course webinar held on January 12th, 2023, presenter Javier Castillo took a unique approach to understanding American English profanity. We looked at these words and expressions as what they are –examples of language use– and examined how they are shaped by elements of content and intent, among others. Participants left this session with a better understanding of American English profanity and a foundation to find appropriate solutions when interpreting/translating into and from English and their other working language(s).

CE hours accredited: 1.5 hrs, CEAP ID #10005-40

Presenter: Javier Castillo, President, Castillo Language Services, Inc.

In this webinar, presenters Arle Lommel, Ph.D., and Alan Melby, Ph.D., discussed translation grades and the possibility of adapting them for spoken-language interpreting. They focused on how grades relate to needs, risk, and specialized requirements, and discussed how language access providers could use them to improve communication with their clients to deliver better outcomes and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the strengths and limitations of any proposed interpreting solution.

CE hours accredited: 1.5 CE hrs, CEAP ID #10022

Presenters: Arle Lommel, PhD, Senior Analyst, CSA Research, and Alan Melby, PhD, Associate Director, Brigham Young University Translation Research Group

Facilitators: Ludmila Golovine, President and CEO of MasterWord Services, Inc,  and Natalya Mytareva, MA, CoreCHI, ICE-CCP, CCHI Executive Director

The American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for this webinar was sponsored by MasterWord Services, Inc (https://www.masterword.com/). 

In this webinar, originally held on September 22, 2022, we hear from Mara Youdelman, J.D., CCHI’s first Chair and Managing Attorney at National Health Law Program, about the new proposed changes to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and the language access provisions. The Department of Health and Human Services accepted public comments on the proposed rules. How can interpreters and advocates engage in national conversations around improving healthcare access? The presenter highlights the opportunities for interpreters’ and other stakeholders’ professional involvement.

Sec. 1557 of the Affordable Care Act provides important protections against discrimination in health care programs and activities based on race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), sex (including pregnancy status and related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex stereotypes, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits), age, and disability.

NOTE: CE hours are not available from watching this webinar recording.

Presenter’s bio:

Mara Youdelman is Managing Attorney of the National Health Law Program’s Washington D.C. offices. Mara has worked at the NHeLP since 2000 on issues that include Medicaid & CHIP, the Affordable Care Act, language access, and civil rights.  Mara coordinates the National Health Law Program’s federal legislative and administrative work, leading the organization’s efforts at protecting and expanding access to and quality of health care for low-income and underserved populations.

Recognized as a national expert on language access in health care settings, Mara has written a number of reports and participated on expert advisory panels on the subject. Mara also served as a Founding Commissioner for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters. She was named a 2010 Health Reform Champion by SHIRE (the Summit Health Institute for Research and Education) and a 2011 Language Access Champion by the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC).

By the nature of the work they do, interpreters are often faced with opportunities to facilitate communication for vulnerable sectors of society. In this presentation, our guest presenter Ludmila Golovine, CEO and President of MasterWord Services, Inc., will explore one such group – survivors of human trafficking. Participants will be walked through possible experiences of victims of human trafficking, including the voluntary or involuntary departure from their home, and the many characteristics that shape their perspective and frame of reference, including how to recognize red flags to spot trafficking victims. We will also discuss the distinct role interpreters play in various stages of a survivor’s journey and additional communication challenges that arise from the trauma that the victims have experienced. We will touch on the ethical and legal implications interpreting for the victims and survivors may have on the interpreter, including the cross-roads between legal and ethical responsibility to maintain confidentiality and reporting obligations. We will review the tools and resources that are available for victims, survivors and those who serve them, such as interpreters.

If you miss this free webinar provided by CCHI, you may pay for CEUs at MasterWord’s online platform: click here.

Handouts for this webinar are provided courtesy of the presenter Ludmila Golovine, President and CEO of MasterWord:

1 Survivors Journey

2 Human Trafficking Indicators

3 Discussing Child Trafficking

4 Terminology And Dynamics Of Sex Trafficking

5 Sex Trafficking Glossary

In this webinar, originally held on August 29, 2020, CCHI has invited Mateo Rutherford, M.A., MATI, CHI™-Spanish, to take Spanish interpreters on a journey of deeper understanding of how genetics work from the molecular to organism level with simple explanations, diagrams and analogies. Join and learn why heterozygosity and homozygosity have nothing to do with the patient’s sexual orientation (or does it?), why crossing-over is not about pedestrians vs. drivers or dying, why even a simple genetic error in the cells recycling center can lead to devastating consequences for the patient, and more.

The online training module is coming soon.

In this webinar, originally held on August 12, 2020, CCHI’s Executive Director Natalya Mytareva discusses how interpreters can utilize methods used by other healthcare professionals to create and present ‘critical incidents’ for public consideration, similar to Grand and Schwartz Rounds. Learn what elements of presenting a critical incident foster a fruitful discussion and inspire identification of deficiencies in the current healthcare interpreting resources. Review a sample critical incident report intended for discussion either among interpreters or among a mixed audience that includes healthcare providers. Learn about CCHI’s Critical Incidents Repository and Virtual Interpreter Rounds as mechanisms of systemic national presentation of critical incidents.

You may watch the free recording of the webinar at our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/W-6vzWg9SfA

Coming soon! If you would like to receive a certificate of completion of viewing this recording as part of your Continuing Education, you need to complete the Online Training Module (fee – $10). The online training module is accredited for 1.5 CE hour by CEAP/CCHI.

For more information about the Virtual Interpreter Rounds and CIR Repository, visit our webpage at https://cchicertification.org/rounds/.

Consecutive interpreting skills consist of a complex set of sub-skills and abilities. Good short-term memory is one of the prerequisites to successful interpreting in general, and consecutive mode in particular. This practical, engaging, and hands-on workshop will help participants better understand how short-term memory works. The presenter will demonstrate ways to improve short-term memory. Attendees will learn practical tips and exercises that every healthcare interpreter can use to develop their short-term memory between assignments.

The online training module is available at https://cchiinterpreters.org. The cost is $10. The online module is 2 performance-based (PB) CE hours.

CCHI Commissioners and one of our advisors discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for healthcare interpreters individually and for the profession as a whole. The panelists are Wilma Alvarado-Little, M.A., M.S.W., Margarita Bekker, CoreCHI™, Mateo Rutherford, M.A., CHI™-Spanish, Idolly Oliva, M.B.A., and CCHI’s executive director Natalya Mytareva, M.A., CoreCHI™. They discuss the issues of infection control and ethical dilemmas during the pandemic, challenges of switching to the remote modality from the interpreter’s and manager’s perspectives, implications of cancelled CE events, interpreter self-care, and CCHI’s testing practices.

This online course is based on the recording of a live webinar, broadcast on March 21, 2020. It is intended for interpreters of all levels and languages, and for interpreter managers.

Complete the Online Training Module if you would like to receive a certificate of completion (click the corresponding button below to be re-directed to the training portal; click on the course name and enter the code 2020COVID-19). The online training module is accredited by CEAP/CCHI for 1.5 general CE hours (CEAP ID # 09241).

This webinar is for interpreters (Arabic, Mandarin and Spanish) who have registered for or are interested in the EtoE Research Study which is conducted by CCHI in January 24-March 14, 2020. The goal of the study is to find out if it is possible to measure cognitive interpreting skills (=ability to successfully convert meaning from one language into another) via a standardized English-to-English (EtoE) oral performance test. Natalya Mytareva, CCHI’s Executive Director, explains the structure of the ETOE™ exam, the types of tasks test takers will be asked to perform, and the logistics of taking it together with a corresponding bilingual CHI™ exam.

In her keynote “A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats: The Medical Interpreter’s Role in Health Care and the T&I Community,” Johanna Parker, M.A., CHI™-Spanish, identifies urgent issues faced by different stakeholder groups of the medical interpreting today, especially those, that contribute to the alienation and divisive attitudes or jeopardize the professionalization of healthcare interpreting. The keynote took place at the first National Healthcare Interpreter Certification Summit held by CCHI on October 12, 2019 in Minneapolis, MN (http://cchicertification.org/10-years/summit/).

Coming soon! If you would like to receive a certificate of completion of viewing this recording as part of your Continuing Education, you need to complete the Online Training Module (fee – $10). The online training module is accredited for 1 CE hour by CEAP/CCHI.

Mara Youdelman, J.D., CCHI’s first Chair and Managing Attorney at the National Health Law Program, discusses opportunities and challenges related to language access that face us over the coming year. Healthcare issues are front-and-center in the looming Presidential campaign cycle and Congressional debates to increase access to health care. This should provide new opportunities to advance language access. Yet, with anti-immigrant sentiment on the rise, we must also fight to protect the rights of limited English proficient individuals. So how can interpreters and advocates engage in national and state conversations around improving health care access while fighting back against proposals that create fear in communities about accessing health care? The keynote took place on October 12, 2019, during CCHI’s first National Healthcare Interpreter Certification Summit in Minneapolis, MN (http://cchicertification.org/10-years/summit/).

Complete the Online Training Module if you would like to receive a certificate of completion (click the corresponding button below to be re-directed to the training portal; fee – $10). The online training module is accredited for 1 CE hour by CEAP/CCHI.

The webinar was originally presented by Natalya Mytareva, M.A., CoreCHI™, on December 19, 2019. The presenter explains the CHI™ exam’s structure, administration logistics, and how to prepare for it.

The webinar was originally presented by Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, M.A., CHI™-Spanish, Karin Ruschke, M.A., and Mara Youdelman, J.D., on July 16, 2019. The presenters discussed the issues of healthcare interpreters’ professionalism, leadership, professional engagement and development.

Complete the online training module if you would like to receive a certificate of completion (click the button to be re-directed to the training portal). The online training module is accredited for 1.75 CE hours by CEAP/CCHI.

The webinar was held on October 6, 2018. Our guest presenter Margarita Bekker focuses on the medical concepts, terminology and protocols/procedures related to joint replacement of the hip and knee, including peri-operative patient education, surgery and post-operative rehabilitation, with the attention to the fact that mostly geriatric patients undergo such procedures.

The online training module is coming soon.

The webinar was held on May 16, 2018. Our guest presenter Ludmila Golovine, President of MasterWord® Services, guided the attendees through a series of case studies and tools that can help identify and examine triggers leading to vicarious trauma impacting language professionals and their well-being and performance. This webinar was not recorded because its content is best delivered live.

Are you about to start your certification journey with CCHI? Your first step, after your application is approved, is to take the CoreCHI™ written exam. This presentation is for all medical interpreters who are getting ready to take the CoreCHI™ exam.  CCHI’s Executive Director explains the CoreCHI™ exam’s structure, administration logistics, and how to prepare for it.

This webinar discusses CCHI certification and the steps you need to take the embark on your certification journey! Specifically, the following questions are addressed:

• What are the eligibility requirements?
• What kind of training is accepted?
• How to meet and document the language proficiency requirement?
• How to fill out the application online?

This webinar contains an overview of the CCHI certification renewal requirements and guidelines. Specifically, the following questions are addressed:

• How and when do you submit your certification renewal applications?
• What are the continuing education (CE) and work experience requirements?
• What topics qualify as performance-based (PB)?
• What are the non-instructional CE activities? How to document them?
• How do you document that you have met these requirements?

CCHI has invited Natalya Mytareva, M.A., CoreCHI™, to present this free Continuing Education webinar. In this webinar, we clarify the concepts of register and dialect in the context of healthcare interpreting and their characteristics. Factors affecting the interpreter’s ability to maintain register as well as components of mastering this skill will be discussed. Importance and relevance of maintaining the speaker’s register in healthcare settings will be exemplified. In conclusion, participants will practice recognizing instances when maintaining the speaker’s register is critical for effective communication in a healthcare encounter. The webinar is presented in English.

The online module is coming soon!

CCHI has invited Mutaz Al Mudaris, CHI™-Arabic, to present this free Continuing Education webinar for Arabic interpreters. In this webinar, we explore together the following elements and find some answers to these questions: What is the difference between a dialect and an accent? How do they intersect with register? Can politics and social status interfere with defining a language, accent or dialect? How does this intertwine with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), classical and colloquial Arabic? With 22 Arabic countries in North Africa, Middle East, the horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean, can we, healthcare interpreters, find a common ground, to adequately capture and convey what is being said? The webinar is presented in Arabic. 

Complete the online training module if you would like to receive a certificate of completion (click the button to be re-directed to the training portal). The online training module is accredited for 2 performance-based CE hours by CEAP/CCHI.

CCHI invited Maria Carla Faccini, CHI™-Spanish, and Dr. Adrienne D. Mishkin, MD, MOH, to present this free, language-neutral, Continuing Education webinar so that attendees can learn about the provider’s thought process and some of the techniques they use to interview patients. The speakers discuss examples that show how a skilled interpreter can improve the quality of the interview. Strategies that the interpreter can use to overcome challenges typical for this appointment type are also discussed.

This webinar is helpful to interpreters who are beginning their certification process and who are getting ready to take the CoreCHI™ exam. It can also serve as a refresher for already certified interpreters. Viewing this webinar does not generate a certificate of attendance; it is made available for informational purposes.