The National Board

The mission of the National Board is to foster improved healthcare outcomes, patient safety, and patient/provider communication, by elevating the standards for and quality of medical interpreting through a nationally recognized and validated certification for medical interpreters.

The Hub-CMI credential and CMI certification programs are governed by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (National Board), an independent division of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA).

The Hub-CMI credential has been a long-awaited opportunity for many medical interpreters who speak languages outside the existing CMI certification. Every medical interpreter in any language will have access to take this test and obtain the Hub-CMI credential. For those six languages already certified, the Hub-CMI interpreter will have the opportunity to continue growing, taking the next step towards full certification.

Effective 2018, the National Board is pleased to announce that each of the Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Vietnamese CMI certification programs have been brought together under the same nationally accepted standards and criteria, ensuring that the CMI credentialing in each of our program languages remains the most prestigious offered in the industry. Prior to 2018, the Spanish CMI certificate was subjected to an additional level of NCCA accreditation, but while the National Board remains a member of the Institute of Credentialing Excellence (ICE), each of the National Board programs have been standardized to ensure the CMI certification in each offered language best meets or exceeds nationally accepted standards, including transparency, inclusion, and access.

The purposes of the National Board are to:

  • Develop, organize, oversee, and promote a national medical interpreter certification program in all languages.
  • Promote patients and providers working with credentialed medical interpreters who have met minimal national standards to provide accurate and safe interpretation.
  • Ensure credibility of national certification by striving to comply with national accreditation standards including transparency, inclusion, and access.
The Board of Directors of the National Board consists of 10-12 voting members that include medical interpreters, trainers, health care providers, industry representatives, and a public member. Initial Board members were selected by a public process and independent selection committee. Subsequently, Board Directors are recruited through a Nominating Committee process and are elected by the members of the National Board.

Directors 

Gustavo R. Negrete

Gustavo R. Negrete, CMI-Spanish

Chair

[email protected]

+ Bio

Joanna Larson

Joanna Larson

Vice-Chair

[email protected]

+ Bio

Humberto Lopez Castillo

Humberto López Castillo, MD, PhD, CPH, CMI

Director

[email protected]

+ Bio

Javier Chavez

Javier Chavez, MMS, MSHA, CHI-Spanish, CMI-Spanish

Director

[email protected]

+ Bio

Nellie O. Cordova

Nellie O. Cordova, CMI-Spanish

Director

[email protected]

+ Bio

Juana Horton

Juana Horton, Spanish

Director

[email protected]

+ Bio

Miriam Vazquez

Miriam Vazquez

Director

[email protected]

+ Bio



Staff

Casita Wild

Casita Wild, MS

Operations Manager

+ Bio

Beverly North

Beverly North, MS

+ Bio

Marissa Gearhart

Marissa Gearhart, CMI-Spanish

+ Bio