WSU Students Address Healthcare Interpreter Shortage in Inland Northwest

Access to healthcare can be significantly hampered by language barriers, a challenge particularly acute in the Inland Northwest. A new, student-led initiative at Washington State University (WSU) is aiming to address this critical shortage of certified medical interpreters, bridging the gap between healthcare providers and non-English speaking patients.

The project, spearheaded by second-year medical students Carmella Crooks and Victoria Caldera, both of Venezuelan heritage, seeks to increase the number of qualified interpreters available to patients in the region. Both students are already fluent in Spanish, but recognize the need for specialized training in medical terminology to become certified.

“We knew that we were going to be taking over the leads of the Latino Medical Student Association for our school, and started brainstorming what we wanted our impact to be,” explained Crooks. The initiative is supported by WSU and the community organization Nuestras Raíces.

The financial burden of interpreter certification – totaling $1,200 for classes and tests – can be substantial. Fortunately, the Waters Meet Foundation will fund certification for 10 students, while Nuestras Raíces will support three. The certification test itself is offered in multiple languages, including Spanish, Russian, and Korean, increasing accessibility for potential interpreters.

The need for increased language access in healthcare is underscored by the experiences of both Crooks and Caldera. Crooks recalls assisting with translations during her grandmother’s medical appointments as a child, while Caldera notes the emotional impact of a physician greeting a patient in their native language. Both have also encountered situations in hospital settings where they were asked to interpret despite lacking formal certification.

“Even though we felt comfortable speaking Spanish, we were not trained or certified to do that, and there are risks with that,” Caldera emphasized. Uncertified interpretation can lead to misunderstandings, inaccurate diagnoses, and potentially compromised patient care.

This reliance on ad-hoc interpretation, often by family members, is a common occurrence for non-English speaking communities. Fernanda Mazcot, executive director of Nuestras Raíces, highlights the importance of addressing the needs of the entire family unit. “Our focus is the individual, but the family as well. We know that’s such a big part of our (Latino) culture,” she said. “A lot of the work that we do really is having resources and direct services for everybody in the household.”

Currently, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has certified 1,807 medical interpreters statewide, with 351 in Eastern Washington and 1,456 in Western Washington . However, Norah West, interim senior director for DSHS, notes that this number doesn’t represent all interpreters working in hospitals and medical centers, and that the agency has seen a consistent increase in inquiries about interpreter resources since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WSU pilot program will begin in May, with 13 students completing a six-month training program. Luis Manriquez, WSU’s director of community health equity, hopes the program’s success will lead to its formal integration into the College of Medicine curriculum. “Hopefully it’s something that we can then pull into the school and that will be a thing that the school can offer to students that are coming in bilingual and that will help us remove a barrier to care for people in Washington that are non-English speakers,” he said.

The initiative reflects a growing recognition of language access as a vital component of community health and wellness. As Zeke Smith, president of the Waters Meet Foundation, stated, “Language access is vital for community health and wellness. We’re proud to support these WSU students and Nuestras Raices who are dedicating their time and talent to promote more equitable health care access in our region.”

Crooks and Caldera hope their project will not only increase the number of certified medical interpreters but also highlight the importance of financial support for bilingual medical students, viewing it as an integral part of improving access to care for all.

“That’s the power of language,” Caldera concluded.