For nearly a century, Swedish Medical Center has been the premier health-care provider in the Pacific Northwest.
Swedish Medical Center is a 1,245-bed medical center comprised of three hospital campuses in Seattle - First Hill, Cherry Hill and Ballard - and an emergency room and specialty center in Issaquah. In addition, we operate a thriving Home Health/Visiting Nurse program, and have specialty clinics throughout the Puget Sound area. Swedish boasts more than 7,000 employees and a medical staff of more than 2,000 private-practice physicians, representing virtually every medical, surgical and diagnostic specialty and subspecialty. And, Swedish is growing! There has never been a better time to join Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.BENEFITS:Swedish offers a wide range of benefit programs, designed to meet the varying needs of our employees at all stages in their lives. From our customized relocation program, to a choice of several competitive health plans, to our generous 401(k) program, our employees enjoy flexibility and options that represent some of the best employee benefit programs available.JOB DESCRIPTION:Medical Interpreter (Vietnamese) - Linguistic ServicesThis is a regular, hourly, variable (4-8) hour, Day shift position, per diem. This position is not eligible for employee benefits.Salary scale: Scale begins at $18.45 per hour. Placement within the scale is dependent upon years of work experience. The salary scale is reviewed on an annual basis for market comparison and may change in pace with the market.Provides accurate and impartial on-site spoken language interpretation services requiring proficiency in oral and written English and the target language to assist Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients and SMC medical providers and personnel to ensure linguistically appropriate care. Acts as a cultural broker and patient advocate where applicable. Language services include spoken language interpretation (in person, telephone or VRI (video remote interpretation)), sight translation, oral rendition of written text in one language to another, consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, translation of written material and review of back translation/editing as needed. Maintains and updates personal calendar of assignments through computer and PDA in a timely manner. Communicates potential interpretation issues/concerns to provider(s) and Manager. Places appointment reminder calls to patients; assists with rescheduling and cancellations, if needed. Abides by organization and department standards as well as the National Code of Ethics for Interpreting in Healthcare.Swedish Medical Center has a non-discrimination policy and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.Application and Selection ProcessWhen your online application is submitted successfully, you will receive an auto-confirmation message to the e-mail address you have provided in your application. Our selection process is competitive and you will be contacted if your qualifications and our requirements are a match.QUALIFICATIONS:High School Diploma or GED or equivalent. Continuing education and/or training preferred.Certification or screening assessment by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) as a Medical Interpreter, or equivalent (MITI test, Pacific Interpreter or Language Line Medical Interpreter Skills & Language Assessment, or completion of equivalent evaluation process determined to be acceptable by the Linguistic Services Manager), required.One year of interpretation experience in a medical clinic or hospital setting required; three years of experience strongly preferred. Knowledge of complex medical terminology, Western medicine, and culture of target populations being served. Must pass a competency exam and skills assessment.Excellent command of English and the target language, and ability to communicate, both verbally and in writing, with patients, SMC staff and the general public utilizing courtesy, good judgment and reflecting Swedish Standards of Excellence. Ability to interpret in-person, by telephone and through VRI (video remote interpreting); ability to work extended business hours and flexible schedule, as needed. Ability to translate written health care materials, health education materials and administrative forms from English into target language; translate patient correspondence or communication from target language into English, as needed. Strong customer service focus is required. Ability to interpret in culturally sensitive situations. Ability to assist patients in completing forms or communicate information from SMC providers and staff. Excellent coping skills and the emotional stability to adapt to rapidly changing and stressful situations. Ability to balance strong organizational skills with sensitivity and diplomacy. Takes initiative with skilled problem solving in a rapidly changing and stressful environment. Ability to assist with scheduling, and accommodate travel time between campuses for appointments, whenever necessary. Able to work well both independently and with a team; ability to develop effective working relationships with providers, patients and team. Must maintain the confidentiality of sensitive and confidential medical information. Must be able to serve a diverse population in a fast paced, stressful environment with frequent changes in schedule and circumstances. Must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work; MS Word and Excel knowledge preferred.