Elida Acuna is the Senior Director of the Interpreter Services and Patient Advocacy Departments at NeighborHealth. Prior to joining NeighborHealth, Elida worked at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Medical Center where she held various roles in their Interpreter Services Departments. She has over 20 years of experience in the medical interpreting and translation profession. She has dedicated her professional career to providing language access to LEP patients, helping them navigate their health care experiences and ensuring that their cultural traditions and beliefs are respected. As the Director of Patient Advocacy department, she will strengthen the relationship between patients, families, and staff in a culturally respectful, compassionate, engaging, and innovative way by providing patients and caregivers a venue to confidentially express complaints and compliments about the care they receive or provide at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. Elida obtained her medical interpreting training from Cambridge College and her Patient Advocacy training from Cleveland State University. She completed the Boston Future Leaders program at the Boston Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Harvard Business School. She was awarded the Partners in Excellence Award at Massachusetts General Hospital and the YMCA Achiever’s award for her continuous dedication in providing excellent care to the LEP patient population.
Aigerim Aliakparova is a PhD student in Healthcare Ethics at Duquesne University, focusing on healthcare equity and language access. Originally from Kazakhstan, fluent in Russian and Kazakh, with a background in global health, project management, research, customer relations, and medical interpretation. Since 2022, a member of the Cultural Responsiveness Committee for Family Voices’ PEALS project in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Also, a faculty member for the American Academy of Pediatrics ECHO tele mentoring program “Integrating Language Access into Your Practice for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs,” designed to strengthen healthcare providers’ skills in language access.
Aralyn “Ace” Bairan is a third-year undergraduate student at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology, majoring in ASL-English Interpreting and minoring in Spanish language. Ace is a learning assistant for the ASL Interpreting Department and a research assistant for the Deaf Hub. Born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Ace is a first-generation college student aspiring to become a Trilingual Interpreter.
Melissa Ballesteros is the Lead for Medical Interpreter Training at GLOBO University. With over a decade of experience as a health and language educator, public health advocate, and interpreter trainer, she specializes in preparing interpreters to excel in high-stakes environments. Her work focuses on improving language access and advancing health equity for diverse communities.
Maria-Paz Beltran Avery, PhD, directed a federally funded project to develop a college level certificate program to train bilingual adults as healthcare interpreters (early 1990’s), and collaborated with the Massachusetts Medical Interpreters Association (now IMIA) creating the Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice (1996). She participated in national meetings that became the National Council for Interpreters in Health Care and co-wrote the National Code of Ethics for Interpreters in Healthcare (NCoE) and the National Standards of Practice (NSoP). With the Ethics and Standards Workgroup, she co-wrote INTERPRETER ADVOCACY IN HEALTHCARE ENCOUNTERS: A CLOSER LOOK and is revising the NCoE and NSoP.
Susana Bernardo is a PhD researcher in Translation Studies for the Foundation for Science and Technology, at the University of Coimbra. She is a Member of CELGA-ILTEC (Centre for General and Applied Linguistic Studies), which supported her recent fieldwork in the US. She obtained the title of Specialist in Foreign Languages and Literatures – Translation and holds a Master’s Degree in Translation. She has been a Specialized Translator from English and German into Portuguese for Multinational Companies in Healthcare, Technology, and Marketing for 25 years, and is currently teaching Specialized Translation in the Master’s in Translation at the University of Coimbra.
Görkem Cilam brings over 20 years of experience in the translation, interpreting and consulting industry. As Manager of Interpretive Services and Community Outreach at Holyoke Medical Center and former Assistant Director of the Translation Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she has collaborated with government agencies, educational and healthcare institutions, for profit and non-profit entities to advance language access and deliver services in over 80 languages. Görkem holds a BA in Economics and German Cultural Studies from Mount Holyoke College and has pursued additional studies on diverse disciplines such as art, politics, history, and finance at UMass Amherst. Fluent in Turkish, English, and German, she is deeply committed to diversity and multiculturalism.
Vonessa Costa is the Sr. Director of Quality & Member Engagement at Paras and Associates/ Health Care Interpreter Network since June 2021. Prior to this position, Vonessa directed language access initiatives at Cambridge Health Alliance and was director of the Cross-Cultural Communication Institute at CCCS, Inc., where she specialized in interpreter education and provider training in intercultural communication. Vonessa is a CoreCHI™ practitioner credentialed by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters. She was secretary of the Forum on the Coordination of Interpreter Services (FOCIS) and a member of the America’s Essential Hospitals Education Committee. Vonessa is a graduate of the America’s Essential Hospitals Fellows Program, and a 2019 MassAHEC Tony Windsor Award recipient for advocacy in language access and the professionalization of healthcare interpreters.
José Iran Cruz has been working in the language industry for nearly 20 years as a professional interpreter, trainer, and translator. José has a B.A. in Speech and Theatre and earned his CMI and CHI-Spanish credentials in 2015. Over the past 10 years, José has led Nashville Public Health Department’s Cultural and Linguistic Services division which focuses on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate interpreting, translating, and language access support. José leads a team of professionals that work toward expanding an organization-wide structure that ensures that all individuals can effectively access public health information and services in their preferred language.
Beck Dean is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the ASL Interpreting Program at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Beck will graduate from NTID in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science degree in ASL Interpreting and a double minor in Psychology and Women and Gender Studies. While a student first, they work in many roles within NTID. Beck is a learning assistant for the ASL Interpreting Department, a research assistant for the Deaf Hub, and they are the Student Worker Team Lead for the Office of the President.
Laisson DeSouza is a Multilingual Language Access leader with 18+ years of language access and business development experience leading strategic projects and initiatives to drive quality improvement, patient and student experience, and accessibility in the international education and healthcare fields. Experienced instructor of Medical and Community interpreter training programs, certified interpreter, and language access consultant.
Danilo Formolo, MBA, CDM, CHI™-Spanish is AVP of Language Access at Atrium Health, a large health system in the Southeast. He leads one of the most programs in the country, responsible for 4 regions of the Southeast. He’s built a large, scalable infrastructure through the use of technology and strategy to increase access and create an engaged team of nearly 200 staff interpreters. Danilo earned two Bachelor’s Degrees from UNC Charlotte, plus an MBA. Danilo has delivered industry conference presentations around the country. Danilo serves on the board for the local Latin American Chamber, is the CCHI Treasurer, and a Certified Healthcare Interpreter.
Ingrid Gamez is an emerging leader with foundational experience in interpreting and translation services management for over 10 years demonstrating a commitment for team development and operational excellences. She is the Supervisor for the Call Center Interpreters and Translation Services Manager at CHA. Skilled in advance customer service, introductory employee engagement and fundamental High Reliability Organization skills. She has a solid understanding of time management and recognized for a proactive attitude and the ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment. Degree on Latin American Studies, Spanish Translation. Medical and Mental Health Interpreter certificates from Cambridge College and Boston University.
Tatiana González-Cestari, PhD, CHI-Spanish has 23 years of combined experience as a pharmacist, pharmacologist, researcher, professor, manager, and remote interpreter. Tatiana is passionate about quality, research, innovation, compliance, and cultural sensitivity. She serves as the Director of Language Service Advocacy at Equiti where she focuses on hospitals’ language access best practices and impact on quality, compliance, and financial metrics. Tatiana is part of the NCIHC Policy, Education and Research committee; the SAFE AI Taskforce; and co-author of The Remote Interpreter textbook. Tatiana has mentored, developed training, presented at national and international events, published peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles, and lectured at various universities. Tatiana obtained her pharmacy degree and her Ph.D. in pharmacology from Universidad Central de Venezuela.
Valerie Huang is the Director of Language Services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, advocating equitable healthcare access for diverse populations. She holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development and completed the World Language Education program at Ohio State University. As a certified healthcare interpreter and patient experience professional, Valerie combines her language access expertise with a commitment to improving patient experiences. Currently a doctoral candidate in Human Resource Development, her research focuses on workplace learning and training transfer. Valerie is dedicated to advancing innovative models that enhance skill and performance development in healthcare interpreting.
Silvana M. 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.
Jane Crandall Kontrimas CoreCHI™, M.S., worked as a Russian Interpreter from 1978. She was a founding member of the Massachusetts Medical Interpreter Association (MMIA) (Now IMIA) and chaired the MMIA Standards of Practice Committee while the “Standards of Practice for Medical Interpreters” was written. She was an SME for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters and a Director of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) 2018-2020. With the NCIHC Ethics and Standards Workgroup, she co-wrote INTERPRETER ADVOCACY IN HEALTHCARE ENCOUNTERS: A CLOSER LOOK and is revising the NCoE and NSoP.
Eliana Lobo is a ToT of medical interpreters, certified CoreCHI-PTM Portuguese interpreter, and a Washington State DSHS medical interpreter.
An experienced translation/localization supervisor, hospital interpreter services supervisor, National Director of interpreter quality for an LSP, Portuguese/TEFL certified language teacher, and adjunct professor of healthcare interpreting at Highline College in Washington State.
Formerly a CCHI Commissioner (2015-2021), and currently, Standards & Training Committee Chair, NCIHC Board member and President, voice host for the STC’s podcast, “Interpreting in Healthcare”, and creating/producing over 65 national webinars to train trainers of medical interpreters with the “Home for Trainers” webinar workgroup, for over a decade.
Yilu Ma, is the Director of the Interpreter Services Departments at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Before the current position, he was the Director of the Interpreter Services Department at Tufts Medical Center. Prior to this, he was the Manager of the Interpreter Services Department at Boston Medical Center. He is a very experienced medical interpreter, having interpreted in most major hospitals in Boston. Yilu is also a competent simultaneous interpreter, with years of experience in conference interpreting. He used to teach as an adjunct professor at Cambridge College and Boston University, teaching interpreting and translation courses. He holds a BA in British and American literature, a post-graduate degree in linguistics, both from Beijing Foreign Studies University, a MA in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and a MS in computer science for River College. He co-authored and published the New-Age Chinese-English Dictionary in 2000, by the Commercial Press. As an editor of the Heart & Science, a monthly publication of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, he regularly contributes and writes about health and illness in different cultures and about the roles of medical interpreters in bridging the linguistic and cultural gaps.
Tereza Marinho, CORE Portuguese Medical Interpreter, interpreting professionally for the past 15 years. My degree in journalism came in handy with my work as the administrator for CHA Saude, experience in many interpreting areas loves the challenges of medical interpreting. Learning new things every day is very rewarding professionally and personally.
Danielle Meder is a nationally certified ASL interpreter with over 16 years in VRS and video remote interpreting as an interpreter and operations leader. She completed the Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting program at RIT-NTID in 2017. Danielle is a licensed trainer and is co-author of The Remote Interpreter International for Cross-Cultural Communications. Danielle is passionate about advocating for quality in language access as well as supporting the advancement of training for spoken language interpreters and the communicative autonomy of all! Currently, Danielle works for Equiti, a remote language solutions organization.
Denise Muro has a background in nonprofit and higher education work in gender and racial justice and equity. She has over ten years of experience working, advocating, and conducting research with immigrant and refugee communities and also spent four years with UMass Boston’s Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy working on bringing attention to social and political issues of importance for women, especially women of color and low-income women. She is currently the Interpreting and Translation Manager at Found in Translation, where she coordinates language services and contributes to the organization’s advocacy and DEI strategies. Denise earned her PhD and Master’s in Global Governance and Human Security from UMass Boston, holds a Master’s in International Studies with a graduate minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of Wyoming, and has bachelor’s degrees in English and in International Affairs from the University of Northern Colorado.
Carmen “Coqui” Negrón is a Bilingual Community Health Educator at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. She is a health educator and trainer with over thirty years of experience in the HIV field, sexuality education and public health. She brings to work her passion for creating welcoming and accessible spaces for people of all ages, genders, and racial backgrounds. Coqui has worked as an interpreter, translator, and language coach for medical interpreters in training. Coqui has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Mathematics and a Master’s Degree in Health Education from Worcester State University.
Isabel Pinto-Franco holds a degree in Modern Languages and Literatures from the University of Coimbra (Portugal). She taught Medical Interpreting at Boston University for 13 years. Isabel has presented in several interpreting conferences in the US as well as Portugal. Earlier this year, she taught an intensive medical interpreting course at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. She is a member of the ATA, IMIA and holds a CoreCHI certification by the national certification commission for healthcare interpreters. She was born and raised in Coimbra, Portugal and has been working as a full-time medical interpreter for the past 28 years.
Cornelia Plag is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Coimbra (Portugal). She holds a PhD in Translation Studies and develops her teaching and research activity in the areas of Translation and Translation Studies with a focus on Translation Theory and on Specialized Translation. She is a member of CELGA-ILTEC Research Center. She has supervised several projects in the domain of Healthcare Translation and Interpreting on both M.A. and PhD level. At present, one of her main research interests is the project PONTES | BRIDGES launched by the working group “Bridging Communities” in 2024.
Avlot Quessa is Senior Director of Multicultural Affairs and Patient Services and Co-Chair of Diversity Council at Cambridge Health Alliance, a vibrant, innovative health system and teaching hospital dedicated to providing essential care to all members of Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston’s Metro North communities. Over the years, CHA has earned several national and reputable recognitions for Delivering Culturally and Linguistically Competent Patient Care throughout the Organization. Avlot leads the team responsible for CHA’s Video Interpreting and Automated Interpreter Request System (AIRS) initiatives, honored with a 2014 Amerinet Healthcare Achievement Award in the category of “Financial and Operational Improvement” for technological advances in medical interpreting that have enhanced CHA’s ability to care for a diverse and complex patient population, over a third of which speaks a primary language other than English. Avlot is a Juris Doctor candidate and has invested more than twenty years in the healthcare industry, holding positions including Medical Interpreter and Translator, Interpreter and Cultural Competency Trainer, and Language Consultant and Instructor. He has over 20 years of healthcare and interpreter program management experience with emphasis on employee engagement, innovation, process design, and improvement. Fluent in English, Haitian Creole, French and Spanish, Avlot brings a multicultural perspective to his directorship, with a clear grasp of healthcare’s most pressing issues and the growing need for leaders who can identify with those issues and commit to making the US healthcare system a better place for all.
Hernando Restrepo-Payán, is physician, Magister of Medical Sexology, diploma in clinical counseling partner and researcher, assistance, and research in the area of Medical Sexology. Skills: listening, leading, directing, coordinating, public speaking and as a sex therapist. I have been professor of clinical sexology since 2016 in under and postgraduate courses like Psychiatry and Gynecology at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín, Colombia. I participated as a speaker at the Paving the Way conference in 2018 with a topic related to sexuality too.
Kevin “Keva” Richmond, a DeafBlind individual, holds a Master’s Degree in Deaf Education and is the founder and owner of Evolve Access, LLC, previously recognized as ASL and DeafBlind Consultant and Services, LLC. Keva is a Deaf Interpreter and a highly respected lecturer who delivers numerous training sessions (including the presentations at the University of Vermont Medical Center) shedding light on the intricacies of the DeafBlind experience and providing guidance on effectively interacting with Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind patients. Keva’s diverse interests include dark roast coffee, the art of baking, traveling to experience different cultures, and cultivating meaningful connections across the globe. Keva embraces the philosophy that “Laughter is the best medicine” and spreads his love of adventures to all the people he meets.
Jeni Rodrigues is an Assistant Professor in the ASL and Interpreting Education Department at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She serves as director for the department’s Master’s in Health Care Interpretation and Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting program. Jeni has practiced for 25 years, specializing in healthcare interpreting for the past decade. She earned her Master’s in Interpreting Pedagogy from Northeastern University in 2011 and her Ph.D. in Interpreting from Gallaudet University in 2022. Jeni’s work explores access barriers within healthcare settings and best practices in ASL-English healthcare interpreting education.
Andy Schwieter leads the language access team at Cincinnati Children’s, helping them systematically turn language barriers into opportunities. Andy has worked as a Spanish interpreter since 2006, was certified by the Supreme Court of Ohio in 2013, and was certified by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters in 2015. He co-authored a paper published in Hospital Pediatrics on improving discharge instructions for hospitalized children with limited English proficiency. He currently serves on the board of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care.
German Steevens is a highly experienced medical interpreter, born in Colombia and a native Spanish speaker. With over 15 years in critical healthcare settings, including emergency, surgical, and behavioral health. Currently a staff interpreter and translator at Cambridge Health Alliance, German combines a background in Biological Science with expertise in legal, simultaneous, and conference interpreting for multiple Massachusetts organizations. Previously at Massachusetts General Hospital, he supported impactful programs addressing social determinants of health and medical-legal partnerships. A Reserve Officer in the Colombian Army, German brings cultural fluency, professionalism, and strategic insight to the field of language access.
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.
Maria Vertkin is the founder and Executive Director of Found in Translation, a Boston-based nonprofit organization with a dual mission: creating economic mobility opportunities for multilingual immigrant women and reducing racial and linguistic disparities in healthcare. Found in Translation offers free Medical Interpreter Certificate training, supports interpreters through all stages of career advancement, and advocates for interpreters and language justice. Maria was born in the USSR in a multi-ethnic Chăvásh and Jewish family and immigrated to Israel and then to the US. Maria is an Echoing Green Fellow, Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow, Vital Voices Fellow, Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur, and a recipient of the Grinnell Prize and the WeWork Creator Award. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree and an MFA in Creative Writing.
Jean Wilson Quessa is a Haitian Creole, French and Spanish Interpreter/Translator with a solid understanding of cultural issues and knowledge of interpretation. CHA Sante Se Lavi Haitian Creole Facebook page co-administrator and content creator. Haitian Creole co-instructor for Beginners Haitian Creole in the CHA Language Program. French Teacher, degree from French Institute of Haiti. Public Relations and Publicity degree from Universidad Apec, Santo Domingo, D.R.
Graciela Zozaya brings over 30 years of experience in language access, specializing in the healthcare and legal fields. Her roles have included patient advocate and interpreter at Texas Children’s Hospital Heart Center, Language Access Program Manager at Harris Health System, and independent court interpreter. Currently, she is a Sales Executive at MasterWord Services, a Texas-based language services company with a nationwide presence. Graciela has developed interpreter training programs for 12 years and has taught at the University of Houston – Downtown. A Certified Medical Interpreter, Master Licensed Court Interpreter, ATA Certified Translator, she is fluent in English and Spanish.
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