Medical Interpreter (Spanish)- Family Medicine

JOB SUMMARY:

The Medical Interpreter’s role is to improve the quality of and access to healthcare for Spanish speaking patients by providing in-office and phone translations for patients, creating bilingual versions of patient care forms, providing in-service training to increase cultural competencies of faculty, staff and residents, and identify and coordinate with available community resources. It is important for the medical interpreter to bridge any cultural gaps between patients and healthcare providers which may prevent the necessary information being provided.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Interpretation/Translation: provide effective communication in diagnosis and treatment, informed consent, and confidentiality when dealing with Spanish speaking patients.
• Working knowledge of medical terminology.
• Establishes and maintains quality service and positive interaction with all patients, family members, customers, visitors, health care providers, and clinic team members.
• Assists with patient follow-up as necessary, to include contacting patients with appointment reminders.
• Maintains strict patient confidentiality in accordance with MAHEC policies.
• Relays information of patient’s cultural history to professionals.
• Review, evaluate, and coordinate purchase of appropriate Spanish language resources (e.g., videos, etc.) for patient and staff use.
  • Training: coordinate in-service training to increase cultural competencies of faculty, residents, and staff.
• Enhance the cultural competency training available through graduate medical education programs.
  • Coordinate workshops for faculty, residents and staff.
  • Community Coordination: Identify healthcare communication issues of Spanish speaking people across the WNC region.
• Determine available interpretation/translation resources in the local/regional healthcare community.
• Interact with professionals in the healthcare community, agencies, and members of the Hispanic community to explore coordination of translation services.

This role description is a general description of the essential job functions.  It is not intended to describe all the duties the Medical Interpreter (Spanish) may perform.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Communication Skills

Effectively and respectably communicate with other individuals, whether it be a colleague, patient, or patient’s family member and appropriately enumerate information in a manner easily understood by all parties. We do this to foster a culture of understanding between all parties, especially in complex and difficult situations, to ultimately provide the best care possible to our patients and their families.

• Decision Making

Ability to make the most appropriate decision in a given situation and then taking the next steps to ensure appropriate and timely completion. This requires conflict resolution skills, critical thinking skills, confidence in your ability to make the right decision in most situations. This also includes ability to prioritize your workday appropriately to ensure the most important tasks are completed on time.

• HealthCare Knowledge

Having the drive to keep yourself abreast and up to date on the new breakthroughs in your area of expertise and communicating them to the rest of the team, as appropriate.  This also includes keeping up with your licensure and yearly training requirements within your area expertise along with MAHEC’s organizational training. Finally, the ability to apply the depth of knowledge maintained and gained through this process in real life scenarios as appropriate.

• Interpersonal Skills

Showing the ability to meet difficult situations with grace, professionalism, and understanding. Within your area of expertise, showing respect and showing empathy where appropriate with your colleagues, patients, and their family at all times, even when its most difficult to do so. This is done, in part, by effective listening, being your authentic self, showing responsibility and dependability, and being patient with others.

• Organizational Values

Adherence to MAHEC’s founding principles and incorporating them every day. This includes, among others, having integrity and accountability, reverence for other cultures and equitable practices, ability to manage change, and displaying a clear understanding of organizational dynamics. Doing these things creates a culture where people want to do the best for each other and gives personal ownership towards the goal of helping people in their time of need.

• Problem Solving

Having an analytical mind and ability to work autonomously to solve complex problems that may arise. The wherewithal to think logically through a difficult problem and come to an appropriate resolution for a given issue. This helps to drive continuous improvement by thinking through where we can improve in a novel way. Measures success by understanding where we are currently and where we want to go and then applying those new ideas to affect positive change.

SPECIFIED SKILLS

• COMPUTER
  • Excellent skills in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and database applications required.
• FOREIGN LANGUAGE
  • Must be fluent in English and Spanish.  Ability to read, interpret, and translate English and Spanish documents required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Light - Moderate energy level: Lift and carry 25 - 35 lbs, Push/Pull 50 - 100 lbs (empty bed, stretcher, etc.)
• Frequent (34 - 66% of Workday)

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Not Applicable.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Any combination of education and experience equivalent to an Associate’s Degree. 
  • Certified Medical Interpreter.
  • At least two (2) years of Spanish translation experience. 
• PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Experience in a healthcare environment. 
  • Familiarity with medical terminology .

REQUIRED LICENSES:

• Not Applicable.

SCHEDULE:

Regular attendance on-site is an essential function of this position. Typical business hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (or flexed to best meet the needs of the clients and/or the Division); 40 hours per workweek; weekend, holiday, or evening coverage is occasionally required. Work hours will need to be flexible in order to respond to special work assignments, or evening activities, as requested by the team leader.

POSITION COMPENSATION:

$24.90/hour, full time + full benefits available

At MAHEC, we strive to equip all team members with Total Rewards (pay + benefits) to honor their service, support their health, manage their financial security, build their career, and thrive.

All MAHEC employees and learners will be required to receive the Flu vaccine or have an approved exemption.

MAHEC Talent Management is located at 121 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803. Equal Opportunity Employer.

MAHEC is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Employees who meet federal requirements may be eligible to have remaining student loan balances forgiven after 10 years of qualifying payments while working full-time at MAHEC.

If you are interested in this role, and you have related experience and qualifications, we encourage you to apply or reach out to [email protected] for support in your job search process. You could be the talent we are seeking for this or other opportunities.