Bridging the Language Gap in Healthcare: Implementing a Qualified Medical Interpreter Program for Lesser-Spoken Languages

Linguistic inequity drives systemic disparities in healthcare for non-native English speakers. This study evaluates a project to train and provide qualified medical interpreters (QMI) to assist volunteer and safety-net clinics and community-based organizations in supporting healthcare for immigrants and refugees. We provided scholarships to bilingual community members to take a medical interpreter training course and developed a workforce for those who passed the training course. We focused on lesser-spoken foreign languages such as Arabic, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, and Burmese. Those who passed the course participated in a semi-structured interview to learn about their experiences in the training program, as well as barriers and facilitators to becoming a QMI. To date, 23 people have passed the training and are part of the QMI workforce program that has provided 94 h of interpreter services over four months, serving 66 individual patients. The evaluation showed that community members have interest in becoming QMIs and many have the required language proficiency to enroll and pass training. Finding full-time employment for less spoken languages has proven to be challenging.