Q: What's a typical workday like for you?
A: I schedule and supervise nine interpreters in our clinic, whose clientele is 70-80 percent Spanish-speaking, from several different countries. We are there to ensure communication between the doctor and the patient. The doctor briefs the interpreter about each patient. Interpreters remain behind a curtain during the examination because all patients have the right to privacy.
Q: How does your role fit into the bigger healthcare picture?
A: The art of medicine begins with communication between physician and patient. There are unique obstacles, including cultural barriers, which must be overcome when providing healthcare to people who have a limited proficiency in the English language. The healthcare system will succeed or fail in that encounter. We're part of the system that leads to the best outcome possible.
Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?
A: I interact with managers, residents, staff physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, other interpreters and the patients and their families.
Q: Why did you become a medical interpreter?
A: I studied medicine in Venezuela, moved here in 1993 and worked on trying to understand cultural differences and how we learn from each other. I went to the University of Minnesota for a certificate of interpreting in medical settings and became a senior interpreter within the Hennepin County Medical Center system.
