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The International Medical Interpreter Association (IMIA) named BWH’s Marta Solis its 2010 Interpreter of the Year for her work as a patient advocate and mentor to new interpreter professionals.
“I’m so humbled by this award,” said Solis, a native of Costa Rica. “To be recognized by my peers, the people I admire and respect, means a lot to me.”
The award is presented annually to an association member who serves as a patient advocate, finds creative solutions to help patients meet their needs and identifies and supports improvements in patient care delivery.
“Marta is an inspiration to all of us,” said Ileana Jiménez García, MBA, director of BWH Interpreter Services. “Every day she delivers services to our patients and caregivers with professionalism and compassion. We are proud to have her as a member of our team.”
Headquartered in Boston, the association is the only national trade association for interpreters and has thousands of members around the world. Solis was nominated by her colleagues in BWH Interpreter Services and by members of the Boston University Legal and Medical Interpreter Training, where she is an instructor.
For more than three decades at BWH, Solis has dedicated herself to helping patients receive essential medical information in their native language. Her teamwork and commitment to ensuring patients receive culturally sensitive care were also recognized in 2008 by the Nursing Department when she was one of two BWHers to receive the Hispanic Heritage Award.
Solis accepted the Interpreter of the Year award during the annual IMIA conference in Boston last month.