Welcoming all who need care

Job title

 Spanish Language Medical Interpreter

Reports to

Director of Clinical Services

Status

 Non-Exempt (hourly)

Job purpose

The Medical Interpreter provides English/Spanish interpretation services to patients to facilitate effective and accurate communication between Medical Provider and Patient. Medical Interpreter provides services to those patients who need assistance with communication to receive comprehensive health care.

Duties and responsibilities

• Provide Spanish language interpretation for patients, families and Heartland staff with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). 
• Ensure accuracy of medical terminology interpretation.
• Assume an active role in care team by participating in pre-visit planning, morning huddles, and patient follow-ups as required.
• A responsibility to convey all messages accurately and completely without any omissions, substitutions or additions.
• A responsibility to advise parties on the necessity to interpret everything communicated.
• Assist patients by translating forms, making referral calls, and other assistance as needs arise.
• Provide access to medical providers and other clinical staff by answering Spanish language message line, interpreting these messages, and assigning telephone encounter to appropriate staff member.
• Reports test results to patients, both English speaking and Spanish speaking
• Relays instructions from Provider on follow-ups to these tests
• Assists patients to in-house Patient Assistance Program as needed
• Assists patients in communicating with pharmacy regarding medications or refill related questions
• Assists Nurse in tracking critical patients with abnormal test results and ensuring patients adhere to tracking needs
• Scans patient documents into EMR
• Provides/relays educational information to Diabetic patients regarding follow-up care and insulin use
• Supplies patients with resource information regarding Diabetes
• Assists in rooming patients as needed
• Protects written patient information in his or her possession
• Promotes direct communication among all parties in the encounters
• Alerts all parties to any significant cultural misunderstandings that arise
• Avoids sight translation, especially of complex or critical documents, if he or she lacks sight translation skills
• Follows Corporate, Ethical, and HIPAA policies and procedures to ensure the confidentiality of all patient information
• Effectively practices teamwork, respect for coworkers, good attendance, and punctuality.
• Mentors/trains new hires as needed

Other Duties and responsibilities

• Assists with translating paperwork into Spanish as needed
• Performs other work as assigned or requested

Qualifications

• Must be bilingual in Spanish and English, with a fluency in speaking, writing, and reading.
• Spanish Language Medical Interpretation Certification strongly preferred.
• Associated Degree preferred.
• Must possess a knowledge of medical terminology in both English and Spanish.
• Customer service oriented; patient-centered focus
• Excellent organization skills
• Strong interest in working with an interdisciplinary health team and culturally diverse patient populations
• Agrees to uphold Heartland’s guiding values of Compassion, Respect, Collaboration, and Integrity
• Physically able to stand, sit, ambulate, has dexterity in hands
• Demonstrate high level of confidentiality

Working conditions

• Sits and walks throughout the day
• Subject to many interruptions
• Jobs tasks are performed in close physical proximity to other people
• Requires work with others in a group or team
• Must be able to function in a high stress environment

• Requires work with external customers or the public
• Requires dealing with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous people and other conflict situations

• Requires working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions

Physical requirements

• Requires repetitive physical activities or mental activities
• Requires walking
• Requires using hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls
• Requires bending or twisting
• Requires standing

Details

• Schedule: Full-time non-exempt averaging 40 hours per week
• Hours M – F from 7:30 am – 7 pm as needed
• Hours are approximate and may be altered by supervisor(s) as needed