Public Call for Participation on National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters

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Washington, DC, June 11, 2009 — A call for participants has been issued in the process of establishing a national certification for medical interpreters. The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, being formed as an independent 501(c)3 non-profit certification entity, will oversee the national certification of medical interpreters and ensure that the certification process is credible, transparent, valid and inclusive. Building upon the task forces established at the May 1st National Medical Interpreter Certification (NMIC) forum which took place in Denver, Colorado, volunteers are now needed to serve in multiple capacities in support of national certification.

Individuals and organizations are invited to apply to become a member of the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters Selection Committee. The five-member selection committee is being formed to ensure that the process to select the members of the National Board is done in a truly neutral, objective way, void of any undue influence and conflicts of interest.

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters itself will consist of 11-15 board members, 7-11 of whom will be chosen by the selection committee. Board members will be responsible for moving the process of national certification forward and protecting the interest of all stakeholders that can be impacted by certification on an on-going basis. The National Board will be an independent body that constitutes the certifying entity with full autonomy to make decisions and implement policy related to certification program operation and process, adhering to National Organization for Competency Assurance Standards.

National Board Task Forces were formed at the May 1st NMIC event and are being expanded to give a large number of stakeholders the opportunity to be involved in different ways to support and advocate for the process geared to the needs of specific groups such as medical interpreters, medical providers and educational organizations, among others. An unlimited number of individuals and organizations will be eligible to participate in the task forces that will work together to educate and advocate for the recognition of medical interpreting certification nationwide.

National Board Subject Matter Experts are needed to assist testing professionals with the National Board Certification Instrument test items. In addition, National Board Certification Pilot Participants or Host Institutions are needed to assist testing professionals in testing the written and performance exams.

To learn more about the different ways to participate in this collaborative and public process, and to get more specific details about how to apply and deadlines, candidates should visit http://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org.

About the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters will be a non-profit organization, formed from an independent group of industry professionals that represent all key stakeholder groups, including professional medical interpreters, trainers, employers and regulators. The National Board will serve as the certifying entity and will be given independent authority over all essential certification decisions. It will not be responsible for accreditation of educational or training programs or courses of study leading to the certification. The formation and structure of the National Board of Certification will adhere to the standards and requirements for certification program governance mandated by the National Organization for Competency Assurance.