KMPH FOX 26 | Central San Joaquin Valley News SourceHealth Care Interpreter Training at Reedley College

From Reedley College:

Reedley College is offering free Health Care Interpreter Certification Programs to those who are bilingual in either Spanish or Hmong and meet Department of Labor priorities. Those who don't qualify for the free program can still sign up for classes at $36 per unit.

There will be a mandatory orientation on Thursday, July 21 for those who are interested in the HCI –Hmong free program. It will begin at 6 p.m. at the Clovis Center, 390 W. Fir Ave. (one block north of Herndon between Peach and Villa).

The mandatory orientation for those interested in the HCI- Spanish free program is August 1 at 6pm at Reedley College in SOC 32.

Health Care Interpreters are an integral part of the health care team. They bridge the language and cultural gap between clients and providers.

Students certified by the program can find employment in clinics, hospitals, doctors' offices, dentist offices, and other heath care environments. Reedley College students have been placed at several local medical facilities such as Children's Hospital Central California, Fresno Community Hospital & Medical Center, Alta Family Health Clinic and Orchard Medical Center.

Students can earn a certificate in only 6 months and begin working as early as April 2012. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median hourly wage of a Health Care Interpreter is $20.82.

Students take classes twice a week from October through March. The program focuses on health care interpretations, insight into language and culture as well as basic knowledge of common medical conditions, treatments and procedures. The program also teaches students the proper vocabulary used in the medical industry.

Reedley College received a Department of Labor grant in order to offer these free programs to the community. For more information call (559) 638-0306 or go to www.reedleycollege.edu and click on Career Technical Education, then Health Care Interpreters.