Welcome to the Massachusetts Chapter of the IMIA. The IMIA's goal is for all IMIA Chapters to flourish to meet all the needs of the members of each region. While the IMIA is international it believes in the 'Think Global, Act Local' motto. We will have periodic conference calls to allow members in this region to network and find ways to advance the profession together in the region. Please email your representative with ideas, issues, and topics that you think should be discussed. The IMIA believes that organizing an IMIA Symposium each year in each state should be a key goal of the Chapter. If you are willing to volunteer to assist, please let your representative know.

 

 
Events
To find or post medical interpreting conferences or events in Massachusetts go to:
http://www.imiaweb.org/events/default.asp
 
Trainings
To find or post trainings and workshops in Massachusetts go to:
http://www.imiaweb.org/education/trainingnotices.asp.
 
Interpreters
To find IMIA members in Massachusetts go to:
http://www.imiaweb.org/corporate/find.asp
 
Corporate Members
To find IMIA Corporate members in Massachusetts go to:
http://www.imiaweb.org/corporate/corporatememberdirectory.asp
 
Registry
To be listed in the IMIA Interpreter Registry go to:
http://www.imiaweb.org/members/application.asp
 

 

Report: (April 2009) MA Hospitals’ Viability Threatened by State Cuts

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Given proper state support, Massachusetts hospitals can help stimulate the economy and sustain the state’s historic expansion of access to health care coverage, according to a ne w report from the Massachusetts Hospital Association. Without proper support, both the economy and health care coverage will suffer, the report concludes. The 10-page report details the importance of Massachusetts hospitals to their communities, and shows how the "multiplier effect" of hospital jobs benefits the state's workforce. Although the health care sector has always been a stabilizing force in the state's economic downturns, the damage being done to hospitals through budget cuts and under-funding is making it more difficult for Massachusetts to rebound economically, according to the report. "Right now, with the federal recovery package, we have the opportunity to resolve the issue now and for the future," said MHA President and CEO Lynn Nicholas.

Massachusetts Hospital Association
http://www.mhalink.org/

Massachusetts Hospital Association - Hospital Snapshot
http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/docs/MassHospitalAssocSnapshot_web.pdf

New England Translators Association
http://www.netaweb.org/

S.810 An Act to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/186/st00pdf/st00810.pdf

PATRICK – MURRAY Administration Announces New Campaign To Encourage Use Of Medical Interpreters at Hospitals
http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/docs/Hospital_Interpreters_5_6_2010_ENG.pdf

English for New Bostonians
http://www.englishfornewbostonians.org/

Private-Payer Innovation in Massachusetts: The "Alternative Quality Contract"
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/In-the-Literature/2011/Jan/Private-Payer-Innovation-in-MA.aspx

Commonwealth Conversations - Public Health
http://publichealth.blog.state.ma.us/2011/01/the-problem-with-health-care-in-massachusetts-the-way-we-pay-for-it.html#tp

Massachusetts - Medical Interpreter Mends Language Barriers
http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2011/11/medical_interpreter_mends_lang.html
 

Language Access: United States Department of Justice Language Access informative presentation, please click on the link below to view.

http://www.justice.gov/crt/pressroom/videos.php?group=2

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The IMIA is pleased to announce that Randa Yazbeck is the IMIA State Chapter Chair for Massachusetts. To reach her, please email MAChapter@imiaweb.org

Born and raised in Lebanon, the Middle East, and migrated to the U.S. in 1983. Hold a BABS/MIS degree from Northeastern University Boston, MA. Pursued graduate studies in Public Administration at Framingham Sate College. Hold teaching certificate from overseas and have completed many courses in cross-cultural training. Completed training as a certified court mediator in 2005 and have been a Notary Public since 2000. My interpreting carrier began in 1983 in Boston, MA as a community volunteer and later began working as an independent contractor, interpreting for private agencies, courts, hospitals and clinics. Member of the IMIA for over 7 years and former member of the ATA. Languages: Arabic (multiple dialects) and French.


 

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The IMIA is pleased to announce that Hoda Elshibiny is the IMIA State Chapter Vice Chair for Massachusetts. November, 2016
Please feel free to contact her at MAChaptervc@imiaweb.org

She has been working in healthcare services field for over 15 years now, seven years of which were in the area of hospital care and healthcare management. She joined The National Cancer Institute in Egypt, then the Children Cancer Hospital, one of the biggest cancer treatment centers in the Middle East, as an oncology pharmacist, cooperating with multidisciplinary teams to provide safe and quality services. She also worked in the research department in the Children's Cancer Hospital, working with a team of 14 members of different specialties to establish standards of care, treatment protocols, research protocols and comprehensive results analysis. Later on she worked as a quality improvement leader on health care projects with the focus mainly on improving patient outcomes of care and improving the overall hospital performance and productivity. She moved to the U.S. with family in 2013, and also was studying for her master's in international management at University of Liverpool. She started her career as a medical interpreter, serving patients to overcome language and culture obstacles, thus gaining an entirely different perspective in the patients' 'care. She joined the IMIA, as a member and an active volunteer, for the opportunity to work with the IMIA and be a health care leader and to contribute to the global healthcare reform in the coming ten years.

 

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Cities for National Board Written Exams:
Springfield
Holyoke
Boston

For more information please visit http://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/
 

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Chapter 66 of the Acts of 2000

AN ACT REQUIRING COMPETENT INTERPRETER SERVICES IN THE DELIVERY OF CERTAIN ACUTE HEALTH CARE SERVICES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 25I the following section:-

Section 25J. (a) For purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:-

"Non-English speaker", a person who cannot speak or understand, or has difficulty with speaking or understanding, the English language because the speaker primarily or only uses a spoken language other than English.

"Competent interpreter services", interpreter services performed by a person who is fluent in English and in the language of a non-English speaker, who is trained and proficient in the skill and ethics of interpreting and who is knowledgeable about the specialized terms and concepts that need to be interpreted for purposes of receiving emergency care or treatment.

(b) Every acute-care hospital, as defined in section 25B, shall provide competent interpreter services in connection with all emergency room services provided to every non-English speaker who is a patient or who seeks appropriate emergency care or treatment. Based on the volume and diversity of the non-English-speaking patients or persons seeking appropriate emergency care or treatment, each such hospital shall use reasonable judgment as to whether to employ, or to contract for the on-call use of one or more interpreters for particular languages when needed, or to use competent telephonic or televiewing interpreter services. However, such hospital shall only use competent telephonic or televiewing interpreter services in situations where there is either (1) no reasonable way to anticipate the need for employed or contracted interpreters for a particular language; or (2) there occurs, in a particular instance, an inability to provide competent interpreter services by an employed or contracted interpreter.

(c) The receipt by any non-English speaker of interpreter services shall not be deemed the receipt of a "public benefit" under any provision of law restricting benefits or assistance on the basis of immigrant status.

(d) Substantial compliance with the provisions of this section shall be a requirement of licensing or relicensing by the department under section 51, and the department may promulgate regulations under said section 51 for the implementation of this section.

(e) Any non-English speaker, who is denied appropriate emergency health care services by an acute-care hospital by reason of such hospital's not having exercised reasonable judgment in making competent interpreter services available, as required by this section, or the attorney general upon receiving written notice from a regulating state agency that such hospital is substantially failing to comply with applicable interpreter requirements, shall have a right of action in the superior court against such hospital for declaratory or injunctive relief. A non-English speaker bringing such action shall not be required to exhaust any administrative remedies that may be available to him and may be awarded damages for any actual harm suffered, but at least $250 in damages shall be awarded for each violation, together with such costs, including expert fees and attorney's fees, as may be reasonably incurred in such action. Such action shall be brought within three years of any such failure to provide competent interpreter services.

SECTION 2. Section 7 of chapter 118G of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1998 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fourth paragraph the following paragraph:-

In determining rates to be paid by governmental units to acute-care hospitals, as defined in section 25B of chapter 111, and any hospital or separate unit of a hospital that provides acute psychiatric services, as defined in said section 25B, the division shall include as an operating expense the reasonable cost of providing competent interpreter services as required by section 25J of said chapter 111 or section 23A of chapter 123.

SECTION 3. Section 11 of said chapter 118G, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "requirements", in line 6, the following words:- and shall include reimbursement for the reasonable cost of providing competent interpreter services pursuant to section 25J of chapter 111 or section 23A of chapter 123.

SECTION 4. Said section 11 of said chapter 118G , as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word "care", in line 21, the following words:- , including the costs of providing competent interpreter services pursuant to section 25J of chapter 111 or section 23A of chapter 123.

SECTION 5. Chapter 123 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 23 the following section:-

Section 23A. (a) For purposes of this section the following words shall have the following meanings:

"Non-English speaker", a person who cannot speak or understand, or has difficulty with speaking or understanding, the English language because the speaker primarily or only uses a spoken language other than English.

"Competent interpreter services", interpreter services performed by a person who is fluent in English and in the language of a non-English speaker, who is trained and proficient in the skill and ethics of interpreting and who is knowledgeable about the specialized terms and concepts that need to be interpreted for purposes of receiving emergency care or treatment.

(b) Every hospital or separate unit of a hospital which provides acute psychiatric services, as defined in section 25B of chapter 111, shall in connection with the delivery of such services, and if an appropriate bilingual clinician is not available, provide competent interpreter services to every non-English speaker who is a patient. Based on the volume and diversity of the non-English-speaking patients or persons seeking appropriate emergency care or treatment, each such hospital shall use reasonable judgment as to whether to employ, or to contract for the on-call use of one or more interpreters for particular languages when needed, or to use competent telephonic or televiewing interpreter services. However, such hospital shall only use competent telephonic or televiewing interpreter services in situations where there is either (1) no reasonable way to anticipate the need for employed or contracted interpreters for a particular language; or (2) there occurs, in a particular instance, an inability to provide competent interpreter services by an employed or contracted interpreter.

(c) The receipt by any non-English speaker of interpreter services shall not be deemed the receipt of a "public benefit" under any provision of law restricting benefits or assistance on the basis of immigrant status.

(d) Substantial compliance with the provisions of this section shall be a requirement of licensing or relicensing by the department under section 19 of chapter 19, and the department may promulgate regulations pursuant to section 18 of said chapter 19 for the implementation of this section.

(e) Any non-English speaker, who is denied appropriate acute psychiatric services by a hospital or separate unit of a hospital which provides acute psychiatric services by reason of the hospital's not having exercised reasonable judgment in making competent interpreter services available, as required by this section, or the attorney general upon receiving written notice from a regulating state agency that such hospital is substantially failing to comply with applicable interpreter requirements, shall have a right of action in the superior court against such hospital for declaratory or injunctive relief. A non-English speaker bringing such action shall not be required to exhaust any administrative remedies that may be available to him and may be awarded damages for any actual harm suffered, but at least $250 in damages shall be awarded for each violation, together with such costs, including expert fees and attorney's fees, as may be reasonably incurred in such action. Such action shall be brought within three years of any such failure to provide competent interpreter services.

SECTION 6. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

Approved April 14, 2000.

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/111-25j.htm

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/118g-11.htm

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The IMIA is a proud member of The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition - http://www.miracoalition.org/

The IMIA is also a proud member of the Disparities Action Network, a group of over 100 organizations committed to ending Healthcare Disparities in Massachusetts.

 

Additional Documents

>3/31/09 MA Hospitals Cost Report

>Best Practice Recommendations For Hospital-Based Interpreter Services

>DPH Report - Mass Hospital Interpreter Services Nov 2008

>National Board Meeting - MA Health Equity Office 11.18.09

>Massachusetts Patient Education Campaign on Right to a Medical Interpreter 2010

>25 April 2013 IMIA MA Members Meeting Agenda

>DPH Right to an Interpreter Poster

>Massachusetts IMIA Chapter Call 11.10.2010

>Medical Interpreter Services Report 2011