Lead Spanish Medical Interpreter & Trainer

Job Description

Make communication part of exceptional care!

At Cedars-Sinai, every patient deserves to understand their care and be understood. As an ASL Clinical Interpreter, you will help patients and families participate fully in conversations that matter—working alongside physicians, nurses, and care teams in a highly visible, fast-moving hospital environment. Your expertise will support safe, equitable care for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and for patients and families with diverse language and cultural needs.

In this role, you will also contribute to patient advocacy, staff education, and department training initiatives. You will help identify and address communication barriers, promote patient rights and informed participation, and educate clinicians, staff, volunteers, and learners about effective communication practices and the needs of Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients.

Why work here?

Beyond an outstanding benefit package and competitive salaries, we take pride in hiring the best, most committed employees. Our staff reflects the culturally and ethnically diverse community we serve. They are proof of our dedication to creating a multifaceted, inclusive environment that fuels innovation and the gold standard of patient care we strive for.

What will you be doing in this role?

The Lead Clinical Interpreter/Translator – Spanish language facilitates communication between physicians, nurses, volunteers, non-clinical staff, patients, patients' families and the community. Responsible for oral interpretation, written translation, session statistics, service rounds, special projects, office duties, and assisting volunteers within the Medical Center. Serves as role model for staff and volunteer interpreters; will also support training, mentorship, coordinate and manage interpreter assignments and schedules. Maintains competency skills including the ability to provide care to special patient populations and patients with diverse cultural backgrounds. Identifies safety concerns in the age related population; institutes additional protective measures to provide a safe environment; and is able to communicate according to age groups of patient populations served that include: the hearing impaired; limited English; and non-English speaking.

• Interpret and translate accurately and professionally between English and Spanish for patients, families, physicians, nurses, and other Cedars-Sinai staff.
• Advocate for patients’ communication rights, informed participation, dignity, privacy, and equal access to healthcare services.
• Identify and address communication barriers that may affect patient safety, consent, treatment adherence, discharge planning, or understanding of care.
• Ensure patients and families have the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, make informed decisions, and participate meaningfully in their care.
• Escalate unresolved communication, cultural, accessibility, or patient-rights concerns to the appropriate clinical leader, patient relations representative, or department resource.
• Support patients in navigating hospital services, policies, procedures, and available resources while maintaining appropriate interpreter boundaries.
• Protect confidentiality, safeguard patient interests, and follow professional standards, hospital policies, and applicable legal and accreditation requirements.
• Interpret across clinical settings with sensitivity to age, developmental stage, health status, cultural background, disability, and communication preferences.
• Complete clear and timely session documentation and service statistics after interpreting encounters.
• Provide written translations as needed, including patient education materials, instructions, letters, schedules, and patient questions.
• Serve as a trusted clinical resource for physicians, nursing teams, and other staff seeking guidance on interpretation, language access, and patient advocacy needs.
• Provide appropriate referral or triage support for remote medical interpreting programs when indicated.
• Participate in service rounds, special projects, office responsibilities, and other departmental activities.
• Use independent judgment to solve problems, adapt to changing unit needs, and support a responsive, equitable, and patient-centered experience.
• Provide education and training to physicians, nurses, staff, volunteers, and learners regarding effective communication with Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients, interpreter best practices, patient advocacy, and language-access requirements.
• Contribute to quality-improvement initiatives and projects that strengthen language access, patient experience, patient safety, and health equity.
• Serve as a role model for staff and volunteer interpreters while supporting training, mentorship, assignment coordination, and scheduling activities.
  

Qualifications

Experience Requirements:

Five (5) plus years of experience as a Spanish interpreter & translator in a health care setting, hospital experience is preferred.

Strong interpreting and translation skills, sound judgment, discretion, and a high level of professionalism.

The ability to work effectively with patients, families, clinicians, volunteers, and non-clinical staff in an active hospital environment.

A flexible, collaborative approach and a commitment to accurate, patient-centered communication.

Educational/Certification Requirements:

High School Diploma/GED required. Bachelor's Degree in linguistics, foreign languages, translation and interpretation, communication or related field preferred.

Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI), issued by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI), to be obtained within 1-year of start date.

Certified Healthcare Interpreter (CHI), issued by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI), to be obtained within 1-year of start date.

Training Programs:

Medical Center Interpreter Services Language Proficiency Assessment/Training Program, to be completed within 90 days of employment.

Interpreter Training Program, to be completed within 90 days of employment.

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