To meet increasing demand for various social services in the Spanish language, Albert Lea Medical Center has launched a scholarship for the English-Spanish interpretation program at the University of Minnesota at Rochester.

Friday, October 12, 2001

To meet increasing demand for various social services in the Spanish language, Albert Lea Medical Center has launched a scholarship for the English-Spanish interpretation program at the University of Minnesota at Rochester.

The scholarship is one of the medical center’s efforts to cultivate a pool of interpreters in the community available to the hospital.

Eight students including two medical center employees were awarded the $650 scholarship that covers the tuition for the fall semester. The students study for three months with a possibility of having further assistance for taking a more advanced interpretation course in the spring semester.

Upon completion, the students will donate six hours a month of interpretation service to the hospital for three months.

The course is specifically designed to create and maintain a reliable source of qualified interpreters for private and public sector employers. Students who finish the program are qualified to serve as interpreters in most industries.

The Hispanic population in Freeborn County is about six percent, according to the 2000 Census. However, the real number is probably much higher than the official counts. Civil organizations estimate it would be around 14 percent.

The demand for professional interpretation is soaring. The Medical Center, for example, requires the interpretation of medical terminology, which non-professionals such as family members or friends are incapable of handling.

&uot;Being a bilingual is not sufficient for providing good interpretation,&uot; Griselda Root, one of the scholarship students, said.

Non-English speaking patients often bring their family members, particularly children, to the hospital for interpreting, according to Root. Interpretation by the family members may be not only inaccurate due to the lack of knowledge but also misleading because a lot of emotions are involved.

&uot;Sometimes, they translate only a part of what doctor said,&uot; Root said. &uot;They select information and add their thoughts. The patient is informed not what the doctor said but what the family member wants to inform.&uot;

&uot;Interpreter is not supposed to give any advice,&uot; Root added.

The code of ethics for interpretation includes confidentiality and respect to the parties. &uot;That means I cannot be involved in the issue … nor advocate. Instead, I have to remain invisible as much as possible.&uot;

Being an interpreter in Albert Lea for 12 years, Root thinks the scholarship program will help polish her skills. &uot;This community has been working very hard to reach out to Spanish-speaking newcomers. I would like to help that effort,&uot; Root said.