Spokesman-Review Highlights Student Initiative to Address Medical Interpreter Shortage

Two individuals wearing white medical-style lab coats stand in front of a dark curtain backdrop. Each coat displays embroidered text and logos associated with Washington State University’s College of Medicine. Both individuals have long, styled hair, and they are positioned side by side, facing the camera.

Students and faculty at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine are working to ensure that all patients can access care with an interpreter, should they need one, reducing language barriers in health care settings.

The Spokesman-Review highlighted a collaborative initiative led by medical students Carmella Crooks and Victoria Caldera that aims to increase the number of certified medical interpreters in Washington.

Learn more about how their own experiences translating in health care settings motivated the project, and how they hope it makes an impact.