A grant will provide medical interpretation training for 6 women who speak indigenous Mexican languages.

The Natividad Medical Foundation has received a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Monterey County’s Women’s Fund in order to train 6 medical interpreters who speak English, Spanish and an indigenous Mexican language.

Not everyone from Mexico masters Spanish, and a number of patients at the Natividad Medical Center, particularly in obstetrics and gynecology, speak Trique, Mixtec languages, or Zapotec.

These languages may seem minor, but they represent over a million native speakers. Many are from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, and the Salinas area has a significant immigrant population with of Oaxacan origin.

Besides providing useful health-care language interpreting services, the training program will serve another purpose: matching low-income women in need of a job with a career opportunity in a fast-growing sector.

“The grant will cover stipends, transportation, books, and assistance with childcare for the participating women,” explains Melissa Flores for HealthyCal.org. “The goal is that the women who complete training will be hired on a part-time or consultation basis to work with the hospital.”

This sounds like a language interpreting scenario where everybody will be a winner.

Betty Carlson

See Also

• Language Translation, Inc.
  A leading language translation and interpretation service provider for more than 20 years.