How a Russian Professor Professionalized United States Healthcare Interpreting
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Title
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How a Russian Professor Professionalized United States Healthcare Interpreting
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Author
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Marisa Rueda Will
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Date
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11/15/2025
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Type
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Text
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Language
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eng
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Keywords
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Healthcare interpreting; leadership; professional standards; CCHI; NCCA accreditation; case studies
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Rights
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Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 11/15/2025, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.
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https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en
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Identifier
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maiscasestudies111325b
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Abstract
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Natalya Mytareva is an undervalued yet pivotal contributor to the translation and interpreting community. Beginning her career as a university professor teaching interpretation and translation courses at Volgograd State University in Russia, she came to the United States as an immigrant and had to change careers entirely more than once upon arrival. Her experience as Communications Director at the International Institute of Akron, a refugee resettlement agency, deepened her understanding of the critical need for qualified interpreters in healthcare settings. As one of 13 founding commissioners of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI), Natalya's work led to the first healthcare interpreting certification exam that was nationally accredited for spoken language interpreters. Furthermore, through CCHI, she was later able to develop an English-only exam—the first of its kind created by any federal, state, or private organization—that could reliably test the interpreting skills of all healthcare interpreters. Her work revolutionized the healthcare interpreting profession by giving interpreters of all languages credentials that would put them on the same level as their colleagues in healthcare. Much can be learned from Natalya's grit, determination, and leadership style, which led to a truly transformative feat in medical interpreting history in the United States.
