Interpreting For Healthcare Episode 41 with Kevin Thakkar

Interpreting For Healthcare Episode 41 with Kevin Thakkar

🎙️  In this episode of Interpreting for Healthcare podcast, the official podcast of #NCIHC, host Yuliya Speroff sits down with Kevin Thakkar, founder and Executive Director of Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB), for a powerful conversation about language access as a civil right. Kevin reflects on training thousands of medical interpreters in over 80 languages, the pride of seeing skilled interpreters in the field, and the urgent need to protect and strengthen language access laws in healthcare and the justice system. From workforce shortages to systemic advocacy and the launch of initiatives like Language Access Watch, this episode explores how interpreters, communities, and policy must come together to ensure truly patient-centered care.

Interpreting For Healthcare Episode 40 with Hans Verrept

In this episode of Interpreting in Healthcare, we welcome Hans Verrept, a distinguished scholar in Germanic Philology and Social & Cultural Anthropology, and a long-time leader at Belgium’s Federal Public Service for Health. For more than two decades, Hans has directed the Intercultural Mediation and Diversity Management unit, overseeing Belgium’s national programme for intercultural mediation in healthcare. He has contributed as a consultant to the EU Council of Europe and the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe. Join us as we dig into his rich experience with migration, health, and culture: his anthropological research into healthcare access for the Moroccan community in Belgium, his practical work designing intercultural mediation frameworks in clinical settings, and his thoughts on what effective language access and cultural mediation really mean in today’s healthcare environment. Whether you’re an interpreter, a language access manager, a healthcare provider, or simply passionate about equitable communication in care, you’ll walk away with new perspectives on how linguistics, culture, policy, and human connection intersect in the health-care space. Tune in to gain key take-aways on: * How cultural mediation differs from standard interpreting and why it matters. * Real-world examples of mediation in multilingual healthcare settings. * The evolving role of interpreters, mediators, and language professionals in shifting healthcare landscapes. Listen and subscribe on the NCIHC platform or YouTube channel. Don’t miss this insightful conversation that bridges academia, policy, and hands-on mediation work.

Interpreting For Healthcare Episode 39 with Manuel Higginbotham

This month’s episode of the Interpreting in Healthcare podcast, sponsored by the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC), welcomes a powerhouse of language access expertise—namely, Manuel Higginbotham — LBBP, CHI™-Spanish. Manuel brings 27+ years of frontline experience in language access, working passionately to improve care for Limited English Proficient individuals. From training interpreters and crafting language‐access programs for more than 140 hospitals, to leading interpreter teams (including the first program with 100% dually nationally certified staff), Manuel’s career spans consulting, ownership of a language services company, and leadership in healthcare for large hospital systems. He currently directs the Language Access Services Department at the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. His languages? Spanish, English and Portuguese. In this episode, you’ll hear: * Manuel’s journey into healthcare language access and what drove him to lead. * Inside stories of building new alliances and creating equity in access across communities. * A peek into how top-tier hospitals approach language access and the strategies that make a real difference—like hosting your own conference on the medical center’s campus when budget constraints don’t allow you to pay for staff to attend professional events. * A forward-looking take on where our profession is headed—and how YOU can stay ahead. Whether you’re an interpreter, trainer, program manager, or advocate for language equity, this conversation is packed with actionable insight and inspiration. Tune in now on YouTube, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts and don’t miss this chance to hear from one of the most influential voices in our field.

Interpreting For Healthcare Episode 38 with Dr. Oyewimina Nosamiefan

With 15+ years in healthcare interpreting, translation, and program development, Dr. Nosamiefan brings a rare cross-sector perspective that spans language access, emerging technologies, policy, and on-the-ground interpreter operations. He’s now leading the charge to establish the first PhD program in Medical Interpreting, aimed at boosting academic research, leadership, and policy in our field — and elevating interpreting to new heights of professional and scholarly recognition. Tune in to discover: 🔹 The intersection of technology + language access: What’s next, and what must we guard against? 🔹 What a doctoral-level program in Medical Interpreting could mean for the future of our profession and for equitable care 🔹 Real-world stories: the successes, challenges and innovations in language access from someone who sees it from both caregiver & interpreter-program perspectives Whether you’re a healthcare interpreter, program manager, language-access advocate, or simply passionate about equitable communication in care — this episode is for you. Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or visit ncihc.org/podcasts [http://ncihc.org/podcasts] to catch up and share with your network!

Interpreting For Healthcare Episode 37 with Ana Soler

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Ana Soler, Co-Chair of the National Association of Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages (NAETISL) and Founder of SeSo, Inc. In this episode, Ana speaks with Eliana Lobo, President of NCIHC and Chair of the Standards and Training Committee, about the vital intersection between education and healthcare interpreting. Ana shares insights from her groundbreaking work in interpreter education and certification, including the development of national training programs for interpreters in schools and her leadership in creating a research-based certification for interpreters in education. Together, Eliana and Ana explore how collaboration across sectors can strengthen language access and ensure that multilingual students and families receive equitable support. Tune in to hear about Ana’s journey—from her roots in social work and public health to her doctoral research in special education—and how her vision continues to shape the future of interpreting in both healthcare and educational settings.