Connecting Care: Interpreters Roles in Chronic and Serious Illness Management

Presented by Silvana Kirby, CMI Spanish; PJ Taucer, M. ED, Martha Benitez, CMI and Ellen DiPaola, JD.

Date: Two Sessions: Part A is October 22, 2024; Part B is October 29, 2024

Time: 5:45pm- 9:00pm

Location: Live Streaming via Zoom Meeting

Education Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Workshop Fees: $50.00

CCHI – Application has been made to the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) for approval of CE hours.

IMIA: Application has been made to the International Medical Interpreters Association for approval of CE hours.

DESCRIPTION: This workshop will focus on culturally sensitive care and language access, how they are essential for supporting diverse patients with chronic and serious illness.  By respecting cultural values and providing clear communication in the patient’s preferred language, providers can improve trust, care quality and health outcomes.

Goal:  Support the role of medical interpreters both individually and as valued members of the care team; to engage adults in culturally sensitive chronic and serious illness care conversations to help a patients document their care preferences in MA planning documents.

Session Part A will focus on the Medical Interpreters Role, Cultural Exploration and Self-Care, with an active Listening, Learning, Sharing Breakout Session.

1. Interpreters Roles in Chronic and Serious Illness Management
   • Discuss the challenges and barriers of helping individuals among diverse cultures.
   • Discuss the scope of the role and being part of the team as Cultural Ambassadors

2. Cultural Explorations and Self-Care
   • Cultural and decisions making
   • Death and Dying
   • Self-Care and Role Expectations

Session Part B will focus on the Honoring Choices MA proven programs to engage adults in Chronic and Serious Illness Conversations and help adults documents their care choices in MA planning documents, and review strategies for best practices.

1. Learn about the Honoring Choices MA Health Care Planning Process, which includes key conversations and accompanying Massachusetts care planning documents; with an introduction to Ariadne labs Serious Illness Conversations Guide. Review strategies to start conversations and how to help patient’s complete documents to write down their care goals, values, priorities and care preferences.
2. Best Practices and Strategies
   • Cultural deduction making in receiving treatment
   • Palliative Care and Hospice Care; Family decisions making

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Demonstrate knowledge about the challenges and barriers of helping individuals among diverse cultures, and the scope of the medical interpreters’ role being part of the team as Cultural Ambassadors.
2. Recognize diverse cultural sensitivities and decision making regarding chronic illness, serious illness care and death and dying.
3. Describe Self- Care strategies and know where to access tools and strategies.
4. Describe the Honoring Choices MA Health Care Planning Process and the 5 MA Planning Documents, and when it’s appropriate to use with adults and families.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the Adriane Labs Serious Illness Care Conversation Guide and the five sections for engaging adults in serious illness conversations
6. Recognize best practices strategies in helping adults engage in planning, complete planning documents, and when specialized care may be appropriate, such as palliative care and hospice care.

PRESENTERS:

 Silvana Kirby, CMI Spanish is a certified medical interpreter and Director of the Medical Interpreter Training Program at Berkshire AHEC.  Originally from Colombia, she has over 20 years’ experience and is dedicated to improving communication in healthcare.  In this role, she has contributed to the development of specialized curricula, particularly in areas of mental health and health systems interpretations with UMASS Chan Medical School.  Silvana is also the owner of Berkshire Language Management, Inc. a language service company providing interpreting and translation services as well as language access consulting.

PJ Taucer, M.Ed. CMI, a Case Manager at the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and a recipient of its 2022 Citation for Outstanding Performance. With more than three decades of professional experience as a freelance interpreter in the medical and mental health field, she also serves as staff language coach at The Center for Health Impact promoting the advancement of interpreters. She is the vice-president of the Wachusett Medical Reserve Corps, where she volunteers educating communities about public health and emergency disaster preparedness. She advocates and brings awareness to the public and institutions about integrating interpreters into emergency and disaster planning by developing and implementing presentations.  Born in Bolivia, PJ is passionate about achieving equal access to healthcare for the LEP population.

Martha Benitez, CMI, is the Director of Health and Linguistic Equity at Center for Health Impact (CHI)- CMAHEC in Worcester, Massachusetts. Martha has been part of Center for Health Impact Team, formerly as Coordinator of the Medical Interpreter Training Program and Language Link Director. As a Spanish and Portuguese medical interpreter, she brings a wealth of experience collaborating with multicultural communities and community organizations across Central Massachusetts to reduce health disparities with the provision of Interpretation services to provide quality health care. Martha was born in Ecuador, South America Martha’s professional roles include serving the MIT program as Interpreter’s mentor, Language Coach, and UMASS – Chan Medical School as a community partner taking part in the implementation of Spanish Language Elective Courses, UMass Research Program – SPRC and Optional Enrichment Elective (OEE) Program working as a cultural and linguistic facilitator.

Ellen DiPaola, JD is the President & CEO of Honoring Choices Massachusetts. Ms. DiPaola is an attorney, with a former practice in Guardianship and Conservatorship and estate planning. Ellen has worked extensively in helping adults and families create personal health care plans as a Respecting Choices Certified Instructor. She convenes the Consumer Health Equity Advisory Committee, co-hosts with the MA Health and Hospital Association the Guardianship Chronic-Serious Illness Advisory Group, and is an appointed member of the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs POLST Steering Committee

REGISTRATION:

Berkshire AHEC provides on-line registration for its continuing education programs. Payment can be made with all major credit cards. If you are unable to register electronically, please contact Silvana Kirby at [email protected] so we can assist you in registering. Please visit www.berkshireahec.org to register for this and all upcoming programs.

CERTIFICATES & COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS:

ONLINE-LIVESTREAMING: Participants are expected to log in, attend the entire program, and complete/submit an evaluation. (Instructions will be provided) Upon receipt of the evaluation, certificates will be mailed within two weeks after the program to the address provided upon registration.

REFUNDS:

Berkshire AHEC does not provide refunds after 10 full calendar days prior to the date of the program. If an individual requests a refund after that due to illness a partial credit towards a conference occurring in the same fiscal year may be issued if Berkshire AHEC is notified before the close of business the day prior to the conference. Credits for cancellation due to illness will only be issued once per fiscal year per learner.

SPECIAL REQUESTS: If you are hearing impaired or are a person who is differently abled who requires accommodations, please contact Berkshire AHEC 15 days prior to the training.

INFORMATION:

Silvana M. Kirby, Director of Medical Interpreter Training [email protected]

Berkshire AHEC www.berkshireahec.org