Bridging the Gap" Health Care Interpreter Training

Multi-cultural communities create the need for specialized interpreters in today’s highly-technical, information-dense and time-driven health care settings. Locally, trained health care interpreters have become important members of the health care delivery system in Harrisonburg-Rockingham and surrounding areas as well as across the Commonwealth of Virginia. “Bridging the Gap” is a nationally recognized curriculum that (1) trains interpreters to the high standards today’s health care industry requires and (2) equips them with the skills and knowledge to professionally and ethically serve patients and practitioners alike.

Application and Fees:

If you are interested in applying to enroll in the "Bridging the Gap" Health Care Interpreter Training program, you must complete the application form and return it to: Blue Ridge AHEC Language Services
MSC 9009, James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA 22807

There is a $45 fee to take the Language Proficiency exam and you must pass the Language Proficiency exam in order to enroll in the interpreter training program. The test requires approximately 1.5 hours to complete and the results are available in two to three weeks.

If you qualify for interpreter training, the 40-hour program costs $290 and includes the "Bridging the Gap" Interpreter Manual and a bilingual medical glossary.

You may also contact us by fax at 540.568.3172 or email interpreter@jmu.edu.

Testing:

To participate in the “Bridging the Gap” training, applicants must pass a rigorous oral and written exam to test their language proficiency both in English and their target language.

After receiving your application, Blue Ridge AHEC will contact you to schedule a time for you to take the Language Proficiency exam. The exam will include medical terminology.

Most applicants require about 90 minutes to complete the exam and results are usually available within two to three weeks.

You must pass the Language Proficiency exam in English and your target language to enroll in the training.

Training:

Blue Ridge AHEC offers "Bridging the Gap" training twice a year, in the fall and the spring. (See calendar for details.) Trainings are held on five consecutive weekends and all training is in English.

Health care providers or other organizations can also contact the Blue Ridge AHEC to discuss scheduling trainings in other areas of the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia.

During the course of the training, each candidate learns how to best serve as a conduit, clarifier, cultural broker and advocate to the patient and the provider. The motto of the graduates of the "Bridging the Gap" training is "interpret everything that is said, exactly as it is said; add nothing, omit nothing, change nothing."

Overview of "Bridging The Gap" Training

Employment opportunities:

Harrisonburg-Rockingham: Completion of "Bridging the Gap" training qualifies interpreters to apply for job openings with the Blue Ridge AHEC's Community Health Interpreter Service.

Outside Harrisonburg-Rockingham: Interpreters are qualified to seek employment with health care providers such as hospitals, clinics, and health departments that utilize professional health care interpreters.

How to get started:

For more information, or to schedule a language proficiency exam, complete the application form and contact Blue Ridge AHEC at 540.568.3011.