Bromberg & Associates Attends 11th Annual IMIA Conference

This past weekend the Sheraton Hotel of Downtown Boston was the hosting place for the 11th Annual IMIA (International Medical Interpreters Association) conference, and representatives from Bromberg & Associates were there. Jinny Bromberg, president of Bromberg & Associates, attended the conference as a part of the company’s ongoing effort to raise the level of education in the medical interpreting community in Michigan and beyond.

The goal of the IMIA is to promote the field of medical interpreting for broader language access in healthcare for everyone. It was dedicated to creating healthy alliances between the treatment team members including medical interpreters. The conference topics ranged from an impressive presentation on Title VI compliance requirements by Bruce Adelson, (whose article is also featured in this issue of the newsletter) to several interesting presentations on cultural competence and on creating a more profound alliance between medical providers and medical interpreters, as well as discussions on recognizing signs of vicarious trauma among medical and mental health interpreters and reviewing methods for stress relief. Conference attendance was at an all time high where participants even had to sit on the floor in some sessions of the conference. However, despite these minor inconveniencies high attendance on behalf of medical interpreters, hospital interpreter coordinators and hospital administrators was a great sign of increased recognition of the value of medical interpreting as a great profession. Demand for this profession is up on top 10 according to the Department of Labor. Majority of conference participants came from Massachusetts and neighboring states, but there were some from Arizona, Minnesota, and Florida. Only 3 people, including Jinny traveled from Michigan.

“Michigan is still lagging behind in terms of LEP (Limited English Proficiency) patient centered care and improved access to qualified language services. It is our goal to increase the level of awareness, as well as to promote interpreter education in our state,” said Jinny Bromberg. “For that purpose, it would be great to host a conference in Michigan in the near future.” Currently Bromberg & Associates is planning to present practical aspects of medical interpreting at the next year’s conference.