On December 10, 2019, GLFHC’s Merrimack Valley Area Health Education Center (MVAHEC) was pleased to celebrate an important milestone in its healthcare training history: the 25th Anniversary of its first Medical Interpreter Course class of graduates!

We are very proud to share the great health education accomplishment of graduating almost 1,500 medical interpreters since 1994 who are currently practicing in their capacity either as dual-role bilingual healthcare employees or freelancers in one of the fastest growing healthcare professions.

On the same evening, we also hosted the successful graduation of 25 new participants in our fall 2019 60-hour Fundamentals of Medical Interpreting Course for the
Spanish language.

The program is co-sponsored by the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center / Merrimack Valley AHEC, MassHealth Access Program, Mass AHEC Network/Commonwealth Medicine, and University of Massachusetts Medical School Office of Community Programs. The training is specifically designed for dual-role employees (bilingual/bicultural individuals who work in a health care setting), and it provides students with the basic skills to function as effective medical interpreters and an essential part of the healthcare team.

Our celebration was opened by John M. Silva, GLFHC President & CEO, who offered the graduates a great, positive message via video, commending them for their hard work and academic achievement. Jim Ryan, Associate Vice President of Workforce Development & Grants Management/MVAHEC Executive Director, and Maria Gatej, MVAHEC Director of Educational Interpreters Services, also addressed the students, proudly applauding their successful efforts.

In addition to current instructors, several past instructors, graduates and staff were in attendance and joyfully, yet humbly, shared with students fascinating facts and stories from their many years’ experience as medical interpreters. It was indeed a memorable evening.