Description: 

Interpreter services managers are responsible for ensuring safe and effective provision of language services regardless of the circumstances - from filling the demand for services, to supporting interpreter staff, to working within the available resources, and so much more. The managers’ responsibility has never been an easy charge, and the current COVID-19 pandemic and resulting public health crisis has been no exception.

This “Part 2” of the webinar-based panel discussion features managers who are based in teaching hospitals or children’s hospitals. The panelists will reflect on their experiences of managing interpreter services during the public health crisis – from when it began, to what is happening now, to preparing for the future. Special attention will be given to 1) optimization of available resources, 2) flexibility in transition, 3) gaining senor leadership support, 4) good things that have come as a result of the pandemic, and 5) much more! 

Time will be reserved for a moderated audience Q&A. 

Note: This is the second in a two-part series. Part 1 of this series took place on December 11, 2020, and the recording is available on the NCIHC website. 

 About the Panelists:

Irma Bustamante, Manager of Language & Cultural Services, oversees interpretation and translation services at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  Phoenix Children’s with a medical staff of over 1,000 specialists provides inpatient, outpatient, trauma and emergency medicine in more than 75 subspecialties.  Irma has had over 20 years in interpreter services including training of interpreters, training of trainers, advocacy for limited English proficient communities for the state of Arizona, and coordinator of multiple interpreter process optimization projects at Phoenix Children’s.  Irma manages a team of Spanish and American Sign Language interpreters and oversees contracts for interpreters in over 100 languages.

Kelly Jennemann is the Manager of Interpreter Services at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She is passionate about improving healthcare outcomes and ensuring language access for all patients in a diverse hospital with international reach. Kelly grew up in southeast Kentucky and earned her BA in Spanish from East Tennessee University. After living in Madrid, Spain for over 5 years, she moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she worked as a freelance interpreter and translator until joining the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine at St. Jude in 2016. In 2019, Kelly moved to Interpreter Services at St. Jude and began managing the department in January 2020. She is currently pursuing her MPH at the University of Memphis, concentrating on Social and Behavioral Health. Kelly lives in Memphis with her husband, two very active sons, two dogs, and a cat. She enjoys baking, eating what she bakes hiking, biking, and reading. She is disproportionately fond of her big fluffy dogs. The cat sometimes allows her to pet him. Kelly can be contacted at [email protected].

Michelle Harris is the Manager of Interpreter Services at Michigan Medicine.  Since 1998 when she transitioned into her role as Manager, Michelle has grown the department from 40 volunteer interpreters to 80 trained staff interpreters and translators. Under Michelle’s leadership, the program has expanded to include a Medical Translation Division, Medical Interpreting Training Academy, and a Deaf Access Program.  She is passionate about training and feels this is the key to providing quality services to patients. Michigan Medicine is a 1043 bed teaching facility with over 46,000 in-patients and 2.4 million outpatient visits in over 140 clinics in southeastern Michigan. Interpreter Services supports ten primary and approximately 60 secondary languages. Michelle has an MBA from Eastern Michigan University and a BA in English and Business Administration from Adrian College.

Yvonne Simpson is Director of Interpreter Supervises at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. She holds a Master of Arts in Spanish (Linguistics) and has significant experience in interpreting, translating and training. Yvonne is a Certified Medical Interpreter through the National Board. Formerly, she was an interpreter at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona and currently she volunteers with NOTIS, the Pacific Northwest chapter of the ATA.