The HCI Curriculum has been specifically designed to train bilingual and bicultural students to develop the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed for effective health care interpretation. Through academic preparation, practical skills training, guest lectures, and field experience, students acquire a range of vital and useful skills. Under the supervision of the program faculty, who elevate the quality of instruction through their internal content expertise, students learn to identify roles and responsibilities of the health care interpreter; acquire basic knowledge of common medical conditions, treatments and procedures; gain insight into linguistic and cultural nuances as they pertain to specific communities; and are trained in the application of interpreting skills in English and the respective language of service.

As a benefit to the partnering health care organizations, using trained interpreters and interpreters-in-training optimizes internal staff's cultural and linguistic awareness and competency. In turn, employment of the program's graduates greatly enhances the diversity of the health care work force.

Other benefits to the Health Care Organizations include:

• Helping set quality interpreter standards
• Health practitioners gaining cultural awareness through teaching
• Increasing work force diversity in the health sector & improving organizational image
• Leveraging program to recruit for the very best
• Meeting organizational business objectives

Benefits to the Educational Institutions include:

• Increasing source of revenue
• Key to future partnerships
• Promoting reputation
• Linking with other programs
• Leveraging health care expertise
• Satisfying college's mission