U.S. Medical Interpreter Association Goes Global

The Massachusetts Medical Interpreters Association announced that it has reformed as the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) and will expand its mission to decrease healthcare disparities worldwide through the advancement of professional medical interpreters.

“As the first international association dedicated to representing medical interpreters, we are creating the opportunity for greater collaboration for the benefit of the profession and the patients and healthcare providers we serve,” says Izabel Arocha, M.Ed., president of the association. “We will now be able to join forces with other associations around the world, to help develop an international code of ethics, standards of practice and quality controls for medical interpreters, and to facilitate the cross-continental exchange of knowledge in the language services industry.”

The International Medical Interpreters Association is founded on the legacy of the Massachusetts Medical Interpreters Association, the oldest and largest medical interpreter association in the U.S. with more than 1,500 members. The organization created the first Medical Interpreter Code of Ethics in 1987 and the first Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice in 1992.

“I applaud the IMIA’s willingness to step forward and work across borders to help the medical interpretation profession achieve an international standard that will better support the needs of patients around the world,” says Kazumi Takesako, medical interpreter, Tokyo, Japan. “According to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, adequate health access is a human right. Medical interpreters play an important role in ensuring that access, which is why I welcome the fresh ideas and level of collaboration the IMIA can facilitate.”

The IMIA organization plans to reach out globally, through a network of international interpreter associations and country chapters, to the thousands of medical interpreters practicing today, in order to grow its membership base.

“Overcoming language barriers and navigating cultural differences in the healthcare setting is a universal issue,” adds Patricia Hudelson, Medical Anthropologist and Interpreter Liaison, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland. “By encouraging the professional development of interpreters worldwide, we can help eliminate miscommunications between healthcare providers and patients, which translates into fewer medical mistakes and better healthcare delivery.”

For more information, visit www.mmia.org.