Our Mission

The NCIHC is a multidisciplinary organization based in the United States whose mission is to promote culturally competent professional health care interpreting as a means to support equal access to health care for individuals with limited English proficiency.

  Latest Updates

June 1, 2009

Members connect in Las Vegas, NV for the 3rd Annual NCIHC Membership Meeting 

Thank you to all our members who attended the 2009 Membership Meeting! We are currently compiling notes and preparing a formal report.

Read the post-meeting press release here.

May 7, 2009

National Standards for Healthcare Interpreter Training Programs. 

The National Council on Interpreting in Health Care is pleased to announce the formal initiation of the development of National Standards for Healthcare Interpreter Training Programs. Funded in part by a generous grant from The California Endowment, this national consensus-building process will result in guidelines to assure that training programs are teaching interpreters appropriate content with effective methods. As a first step in developing National Standards for Healthcare Interpreter Training, the NCIHC is seeking proposals from qualified researchers to conduct a literature review regarding interpreter competencies and effective teaching methodologies.

May 1, 2009

National Certification Surges Forward: A preliminary report from the front line
Please click here to listen to the presentation on healthcare interpreter certification efforts from the NCC's Certification Development and Languages of Lesser Diffusion Committees. During this open call, the presenters reported on data collected at two recent public forums held at the CHIA conference in California and TAHIT symposium in Texas . These forums, which will be continued around the country, are intended to gather national input into what will become a robust and comprehensive certification process aimed to meet the needs of the majority of stakeholders.

Tuesday April 28, 2009
NCIHC Open Call Announcement
The NCIHC Open Call in April featured a presentation from the Languages of Lesser Diffusion Committee and the Certification Development Committee of the National Coalition on Health Care Interpreter Certification (NCC). Presenters were Elizabeth Nguyen, Jonathan Levy, Maria Michalczyk and Valerie Garza-Collins.

This Open Call was brought to you via the technology of Elluminate -- it was not only a conference call, but also a video call as well!

To view the Open Call minutes, click here.

To listen to the Open Call, via Elluminate, click here.

Monday April 20, 2009

RID Newsletter Article re NCC

Dr. Laurie Swabey has produced an important article for the Spring 2009 edition of “Views” – the newsletter of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).  The article objectively details the background of the NCC’s history, activities, challenges and issues.  We are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity to read the article here, with the permission of RID.

Standards, Training and Certification Committee Brings a New Document to the NCIHC Working Paper Series

The work of interpreters and translators is related but different, each requiring distinct skills and training. But healthcare interpreters are frequently asked to provide sight translation, or even written translation, in the course of their interpreting work. How far should interpreters go in providing these services? What are the implications for healthcare systems and for interpreter trainers? 

Now a new Working Paper from the NCIHC’s Standards, Training and Certification Committee provides guidance to interpreters, trainers and healthcare administrators about the role of interpreters in providing sight translation and written translation in healthcare contexts. As all of the NCIHC’s Working Papers, Sight Translation and Written Translation: Guidelines for Healthcare Interpreters represents both a resource and a starting point for ongoing discussion in the field.  

Sunday March 29, 2009

Join us in Vegas on May 28 & 29, 2009:

For more information, click here!

Saturday March 21, 2009

Certification Development and Languages of Lesser Diffusion Committees of the National Coalition for Healthcare Interpreter Certification (NCC) Speak at The California Health Care Interpreter Association's (CHIA)  9th Annual Conference in Palo Alto, CA. 

February 23, 2009

NCIHC Board Informs Members About Recent Events Surrounding the NCC and Efforts Toward National Healthcare Interpreter Certification

January 28, 2009 -  

National Coalition Surges Ahead With Healthcare Interpreter Certification

The NCIHC National Open call held on November 11, 2008 discussed Garnering Support for the Use of Qualified Interpreters in Healthcare.  You can now read about this call by clicking here.

  The National Coalition on Health Care Interpreter Certification (NCC)

October 9, 2008 - The National Coalition on Health Care Interpreter Certification (NCC) held its second in-person meeting September 20 and 21, 2008 in Minneapolis, MN. Attending the meeting were representatives from the 18 NCC organizations and 2 representatives from The California Endowment in support of the NCC efforts.

The focus of this meeting was to create governance structures which will allow the NCC to operate more efficiently and effectively.  To read the full report click here.

For more information about the health care interpreter certification efforts, please go to Certification and click on Latest Updates.