Nominations for NCIHC Board of Directors

Director
Job Description

(3 Positions Available)

Division/Department: Board of Directors
Location: Virtual / Remote + Annual Meeting
Role Title: Director
Term Dates: April 2026 – April 2028
Type of Role: Volunteer / Governance
Time Commitment: 3 - 5 hours/month

Summary

The National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) is a multidisciplinary organization whose mission is to promote and enhance language access in health care in the United States.

NCIHC started as an informal working group in 1994 and met yearly until it was formally established in 1998. The group is composed of individuals from around the country. In the spirit of working to foster dialogue from a diverse group of stakeholders, NCIHC seeks Board Members from a variety of backgrounds, including providers, patients, researchers, interpreters and language program leaders. NCIHC is especially interested in adding board members that could impart an informed understanding of the voice of its most vulnerable stakeholders, the people who use languages other than English (LOE) for health care. NCIHC believes this diversity is critical for ensuring a broad, informed and nuanced opinion on the challenges of equal language access.

Mission

To promote and enhance language access in health care in the United States.

Vision

For all people to receive the same quality of health care regardless of their ability to communicate.

Values

Equity and Nondiscrimination: We pursue our mission with a commitment to equitable language access in health care and recognize that a failure to provide such services constitutes discrimination that may contribute to systemic patient harm.
Inclusivity and Respect: We pursue our mission with a commitment to respecting and supporting language access solutions for all peoples, including those who use spoken languages, those who use signed language, those who speak languages of lesser diffusion and indigenous peoples.
Education: We pursue our mission with a commitment to the advancement of training for healthcare system stakeholders in the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

Role

Ensures the forward progress of the mission of NCIHC.
Ultimate oversight and governance responsibility for ensuring the organization works towards its mission.
Provides a high level of care, compassion, enthusiasm and visionary leadership for the work of language access.
Bring a unique, informed, relevant perspective to the challenges (and opportunities) of language access as faced by all relevant stakeholders
Identify trends or challenges facing patients who use LOE.
Propose and/or support legal initiatives that provide more equity for patients who use LOE.
Inform and support stakeholders sharing best practice ideas related to language access.
Develops innovative strategies for helping the organization address the ever-evolving challenges of equity as it relates to language access.
Shape long-term strategy for the organization.

Requirements

High level of understanding of the challenges faced within language access and providing equitable care.
Empathetic listening and the capacity to see, appreciate and truly inhabit, the diversity of challenges and perspectives faced by all stakeholders in language access
The capacity to communicate clearly and simply and dialogue openly, candidly and respectfully with all stakeholders, including fellow board members.
The ability to value another’s opinion and change one’s mind.
The ability to take initiative willingly and enthusiastically investigate, assess and pursue new and relevant opportunities for NCIHC and all stakeholders.
Mission minded and personally invested with a truly self-less and earnest desire to see the challenges of language access meaningfully addressed.
Ability to serve a term of two years with a limit of three consecutive terms. Directors elected to Officer positions may serve up to two additional two-year consecutive terms.
Attendance at the Annual Membership Meeting. The Board shall set the location, date and time and notify members no less than three (3) months prior to meeting date and time.
Attendance at the monthly 90-minute meeting. Preparation for Board Meetings requires reading of the reports prepared for the meetings which may consist of reports from committees, and include pending policy or fiscal decisions as well as decisions on new initiatives.
Board Members are expected to follow a duty of loyalty by completing a Conflict of Interest form on a yearly basis, and by informing the Board of any new conflict of interest activity as it may impact their role as a Board member. Board Members shall not accrue financial gain from their relationship with NCIHC.