John Nickrosz

1938-2017

Medical interpreters in the state of Massachusetts, as well as the rest of the country, are indebted to John Nickrosz, a true pioneer in the promotion of language access in healthcare. A polyglot, John spoke 7 languages and actively interpreted in 4 of them in hospitals throughout the state. He continued to be an active practitioner even after becoming the Training Manager of Interpreter Services at New England Medical Center. John is perhaps best known as the former President of the Massachusetts Medical Association (MMIA, now known as IMIA), The MMIA developed the first set of standards of practice for medical interpreters which continue to be used today throughout the country and abroad. John was very much involved in the development of those standards, and under his presidency, the standards were endorsed by the NCIHC.

In 2014, John was recognized not only by the NCIHC as one of the Language Access Champions but also by the IMIA with a Lighthouse Leader Award. What these awards only hint at is the true generosity of spirit, humility and deep belief in humanity John espoused. John was one of those rare individuals who lived to serve and was known to literally give the shirt off his back to someone in need, Lucky was the newly-arrived immigrant to Boston who ran into John -- not only would they be welcomed with open arms and genuine hospitality, the odds are that it would all happen in the person's native language as well! As John was known to often say, "God is good."

Sadly, John passed away in September 2017, but he is remembered by all those who knew him and by all those who he supported and nurtured in their careers in the interpreting field.

~by Joy Connell and Gayes Gentes (9/2023)