OEDIA to Sponsor a Pacific Student to Participate in the Spanish Healthcare Interpreter Program This Fall

Pacific’s Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (OEDIA) is pleased to collaborate with the School of Healthcare Administration and Leadership to sponsor one Pacific student to participate in the fully-online Spanish Healthcare Interpreter Program (SHIP) this fall.  This opportunity is open to both undergraduates and graduate/professional students.  This support will allow a Pacific student to learn invaluable healthcare interpreting skills that will qualify them to become a qualified Spanish healthcare interpreter.  This training opportunity will open doors for bilingual Pacific students to be able to work as healthcare interpreters in Oregon even while enrolled full-time in college.  Healthcare interpreters can work on an on-demand basis through virtual interpretation services, or in-person in various diverse healthcare settings.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that healthcare interpreters earn higher than average wages in Oregon (average hourly wage is $29.36 in Oregon, annual mean wage is $61,060 [wage information accessed July 2024]).

The 64-hour Spanish Healthcare Interpreter Program is an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) approved non-credit fully-online training program for community members who are fluent in both English and Spanish to become qualified healthcare interpreters.  Participants must be 18 years of age or older.  The program is taught in English, and no prior healthcare interpreting experience is required to enroll in the program.  The 64-hour curriculum is delivered in a synchronous online format using Zoom.  The program is taught in 4-hour online sessions on Saturday mornings over the course of 16 weeks.

Please click here for more information regarding the Oregon Healthcare Interpreter requirements.

How to Apply for Financial Assistance

Pacific students who would like to apply for financial assistance can apply by completing the OEDIA SHIP Financial Assistance Application form.  A brief 500-word essay is required to apply for this opportunity.  Because this is a limited opportunity, students who are interested in financial assistance are encouraged to complete the application form as soon as possible.  Please note that applicants will need to complete both the SHIP Eligibility Application form (available on the SHIP website) in addition to the OEDIA SHIP Financial Assistance Application form to be considered for this opportunity.  

Please direct questions to Amber Vanzant, the program administrator for the School of Healthcare Administration and leadership.

SHIP Application Deadline: August 16, 2024

Fall Cohort: Online classes start on September 7, 2024 and run through January 11, 2025

View the Fall 2024 SHIP Flyer here.