Date of Completion

Fall 12-11-2014

Document Type

Open Access Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Advisor

Steven C. Schatz, PhD

Abstract

Many healthcare organizations are faced with the challenge of complying with an unfunded mandate to provide language services free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency or those who are deaf or hard of hearing. One method of increasing efficiencies and reducing disparities for these vulnerable populations is to provide access to remote audio/video interpreters on a shared network. The Health Care Interpreter Network (HCIN) is a non-profit organization based in California that comprises more than forty member hospitals and offers service in twenty languages. To support the need for on-going professional development of HCIN’s interpreters, a front-end analysis was conducted to identify areas of strength and opportunity. This paper explores the findings of this analysis, as well as recommendations made to HCIN stakeholders to improve access to professional development and strategies to address non-training related issues across the network.

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