USU certifies its first medical interpreters
On Oct. 28, 2023, a dozen individuals from the community received their certificates for medical interpreting from Utah State University's new Bridging the Gap program.
Program Highlights
Healthcare Interpreting Certification for Community Members
9
Community classes offered free
300+
Certificates earned and counting
30+
Community members in recent Salt Lake City course
19
Participants in Moab/Statewide community course 2026
48%
Participants are in healthcare professions
7+
Recent hires as professional interpreters
12+
New languages supported in training materials:
Vietnamese, Korean, Navajo, Tongan, Portuguese, Russian, German, Persian Farsi, Swahili, Somali, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese...
10
Additional faculty trained in:
Navajo, Farsi, Russian, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese
2
Additional courses offered at USU in Portuguese, Russian medical interpreting
3+
Partnerships, visits, or shadowing recently with:
University of Utah Interpreting Services, U of U Hospital, South Jordan CARE Clinic, Intermountain Health
$60k+
External grant support
100s
Of hours USU students shadowing, visiting & volunteering in healthcare facilities
23
USU students completed first 40-hour certifications, October 2025
New program at USU promises better health care outcomes for non-English patients
KSL Story - A new program at Utah State University will assist non-English speakers achieve better health care outcomes. The program is helping meet the demand for medical interpreters, by offering the training for free.