The IMIA Provider Outreach Committee is reaching out to international relief organizations to determine if there is an appropriate way or ways in which we can be most helpful as a trade association resource to the people of Haiti in their hour of greatest need. As we learn more, we will share the information on our web site. In the meantime, some of you have asked what else you can do. Please consider assisting one of the relief organizations below who are working now in Haiti. All these organizations are in dire need of medical interpreters and many of them offer lodging and a travel stipend for professionals willing to do field work.  http://www.imiaweb.org/basic/HaitiRelief.asp 

Dr. Koh, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services and Dr. Graham, Deputy Director of OMH, acknowledges IMIA work in the launching of the first National Certification for Medical Interpreters program. To learn more about the National Program or to get certified, go to www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org

The Joint Commission also recognizes the National Board's certification as the first of possibly many certifications for the medical interpreter profession, as they do for all health care professions. They do not endorse any program as any regulatory body should. To see this letter go to

HHS Letter dated 11/25/09

Send the message to Congress that credentialed medical interpreters are the best mechanism to ensure accurate and safe communication between providers and language minority patients, and that this service needs to be reimbursed. Please help support our latest efforts by faxing the support letter at http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/pages/480_5.doc to Congress today.

Also, please see the letter that IMIA and LLS sent to our US President. He has heard our message! http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/pages/480_4.pdf

Come advocate for medical interpreters in Washington DC! Hear presentations on the latest national advocacy updates, receive training on how to advocate, be the voice of language minority patients and come with us to visit your Senators and Representatives in Congress. We need you! Registration to this free event opens January 2010.

May 1 Flyer

Please help us spread the word by posting training notices on the national interpreter training directory at http://www.imiaweb.org/education/trainingnotices.asp. Viewers can they search for interpreter educational programs by language, category or state. To post a training go to http://www.imiaweb.org/education/training-form.asp

Search the directory by name, language, state or country: The IMIA is proud to have the only national registry of medical interpreters in the US. It includes over 1,900 interpreters in over 100 languages, and each profile includes  training, general education, work experience, references, and even their resume, if they wish to upload it. Searc

Reach over 1,900 members when you post an event! All organizations are encouraged to upload their own event on the IMIA Interpreter Events Calendar! This helps members stay informed of all the events related to interpreting and translation. Count on the IMIA Calendar to have the most updated interpreter event information at http://www.imiaweb.org/events/default.asp

Twenty nations of primary workplace were reported by respondents from across the globe: from Japan to Iceland, from Haiti to Angola; we are part of an increasingly internationalized field.  To view results, please visit the About Survey page:  http://www.imiaweb.org/about/salarysurvey2008.asp