HCC Medical Interpreting Certification Classes Begin March 3

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College is offering classes for individuals interested in training and certification to be medical interpreters.

The 10-week, 60-hour course will meet on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., March 3 through May 5, at the HCC Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main campus, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke.

Students must be bilingual and fluent in English and at least one other language. The Medical Interpreting Certificate program, offered in collaboration with TransFluenci EDU, is designed for those preparing for entry-level careers as medical interpreters as well as for working interpreters preparing for the National Board Certificate exam.

The course provides students with the working knowledge of medical interpreting, including standards of practice, ethics, HIPAA regulations, cultural competency, and medical terminology and vocabulary.

“This program meets the National Board for Medical Interpreter Certification training requirement and prepares students for that certification,” said Ken White, HCC dean of Community Services, adding that the average hourly wage of medical translators and interpreters in hospitals nationwide was $22 last year.

The course cost is $1,070, which includes all materials and texts. For more information or to register, call Community Services at (413) 552-2324 or visit hcc.edu/bce.