Su Salud

Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island and its five partners—Rhode Island Hospital/ Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Women & Infants Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital for Specialty Care, Providence Community Health Centers and Ocean State Action Fund were awarded a grant by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Hablamos Juntos Program to support the Su Salud Project.

The Su Salud Project is an initiative focused on the development of a local medical interpreter-training program, useful Spanish language materials, universal signage, and technology.

The main objective of the Su Salud Project is to establish a reimbursement model for interpreter services that can be replicated throughout the nation.

The Su Salud project will develop a credentialing system for medical interpreters. On January 20, 2004, first class of medical interpreter graduates completed a medical interpreter-training program held at St. Joseph’s Hospital for Specialty Care and facilitated by faculty from The University of Massachusetts.  The 48-hour intensive training curriculum includes components such as basic interpreting skills, medical terminology, information on health care, and culture in interpreting.  The newly trained interpreters are employees at each of the respective Su Salud partner locations. 

Our health care partners will receive reimbursement in specific focus areas for medical interpreter services provided to non-English speaking patients.
 
The Su Salud project will participate in the establishing medical interpreter standards, credentialing requirements, and training materials state and nation wide. 

In 2001, the Rhode Island State Legislature passed the Medical Interpreters Act, which has facilitated the work of the Su Salud (Your Health) project.

Partners are committed to the training and additional hiring of medical interpreter staff in the four health care partner institutions.

The Su Salud Project will lead to better health care access for all Rhode Islanders, regardless of language barriers.