Please forward as appropriate.



Attached you will find the information regarding a call for abstracts to
be presented at the "Advancing the Profession of Health Care
Interpreting Conference," in Des Moines, Iowa. This is a unique
conference opportunity, as detailed in the attached document.



The due date for Abstracts is August 25th, 2006.



We expect attendance of up to 200 persons: Interpreters: sign and
spoken language; Interpreter Training Program students and staff; Health
care managers and staff; and health professionals in practice and
education



Suggested Conference Workshops Tracks/Topics (others may be proposed):

-Ethics in Health Care

-Memory Development

-Licensure, Certification, Qualifications -Professional Standards of
Practice -Language specific Medical Vocabulary -Team Interpreting
-Mental Health Interpreting -Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) overview
for Deaf and hearing ASL interpreters -Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI)
for ASL interpreters/providers- when to get CDI involved -Staff
Training on Cultural and Linguistic Competence -Health Professions
Curricula Development -Organizational Cultural Competence, Including
Developing Business Plans -Improving the Delivery of Language Access
Service -Consecutive vs. Simultaneous Interpreting in the Medical
Setting - End of Life Interpreting



We appreciate your support and look forward to receiving your abstracts.



David Jones

Director of Interpretation Services

Mercy Medical Center, www.mercydesmoines.org



Jennifer Taylor

Co-Chair, Professional Development Committee Iowa State Registry of
Interpreters for the Deaf, www.iowastaterid.org





Conference on

"Advancing the Profession of Health Care Interpreting"



March 30th and 31st, 2007

Mercy Medical Center, 1111 6th Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50314

Presented by

Mercy Medical Center and Iowa State Registry of Interpreters for the
Deaf (ISRID)



Conference Objective

The conference emphasizes a public-private blend of health care
interpreting delivery, policy-making, community advocacy, civil rights
enforcement, research and leadership development to improve the health
care delivery to diverse populations.

Suggested Conference Workshops Tracks/Topics (others may be proposed):

* Ethics in Health Care

* Memory Development

* Licensure, Certification, Qualifications

* Professional Standards of Practice

* Language specific Medical Vocabulary

* Team Interpreting

* Mental Health Interpreting

* Certified Deaf Interpreter(CDI) overview for Deaf and
hearing ASL interpreters

* Certified Deaf Interpreter(CDI) for ASL
interpreters/providers-"when to get CDI involved"

* Staff Training on Cultural and Linguistic Competence

* Health Professions Curricula Development

* Organizational Cultural Competence, Including Developing
Business Plans

* Improving the Delivery of Language Access Service

* Consecutive vs. Simultaneous Interpreting in the Medical
Setting

* "End of Life" Interpreting



WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

This meeting is designed for beginner and expert audiences concerned
with health care for diverse populations, including:

* Interpreters: sign and spoken language

* Interpreter Training Program students and staff

* Health care managers and staff, from community based clinics
to large health care systems

* Health professionals in practice and education

PRESENTATION FORMATS

All workshop sessions run for one and one-half hours. Two sessions may
be combined for a total workshop time of no more than three hours.

We encourage workshops that provide a spectrum of knowledge applicable
to both manually signed interpreters and spoken language interpreters.

Workshops may be customized for particular language group offerings,
e.g. Spanish only, ASL only, etc.; however the proposals must be noted
as such.

We invite proposals for the following types of conference presentations.


Opening Conference Event (Friday March 30th, 2007)

o Entertainment. Individual(s) or Group(s) capable of high
energy performances (up to 20-30 minute performance) during conference
"Welcome, Opening Address and Entertainment"

Main Conference (Saturday, March 31st, 2007)

Presentation Formats:

* Keynote Presenter. Individual(s) capable of high energy
engagement via keynote presentation to target audience, relating to
conference theme, also willing to provide at least two individual
workshop sessions.

* Intensive training sessions. The conference intensive
training sessions are immersions on skills, management, education and
policy issues. Presentations must use interactive teaching methods and
offer substantial take-home resources.

* Main conference workshops. Two to three presenters will
address specific implementation, educational, research or policy
challenges from their own experiences in separate presentations. A
Facilitator will lead discussion and problem-solving or
strategy-devising with the audience, which will be encouraged to comment
on their related experiences, ask questions, and dialogue with
presenters. If the panel wishes to provide a specific facilitator, it
should be noted in the proposal. (Depending on room size, these
sessions will have up to 30-40 participants.)

* Peer-to-peer practice advancement sessions. A group of 3-5
panelists engage in discussion of a specific practice challenge (e.g.
implementing ethics in a medical setting). An expert facilitator leads
participants in a discussion and brainstorming around cutting-edge
practices and solving specific implementation problems. Background
materials on each participant are distributed in advance. If you choose
this format, you are responsible for proposing a topic, and for
selecting and preparing the facilitator and panelists.

* Panel Discussions. This format features 3-6 panelists who
engage in a moderated discussion of a multifaceted or controversial
topic. The facilitator plays a very active role, asking questions of the
panelists and ensuring that all panelists (three to six people) have the
opportunity to speak. Diversity among panelists is important to the
success of the session. Further, all panel discussion members must
recognize the need for advance preparation. They make brief introductory
remarks before engaging in ad hoc give-and-take for which they may have
prepared themselves but which cannot be predicted or entirely
controlled. (A facilitator skilled in discussion management is
essential.) Panel discussions should generate spontaneous interaction
among participants and between participants and the audience. If you
choose this format, you are responsible for choosing the topic,
facilitator and panelists. The proposal should describe the questions
that will be addressed by the panel, the underlying issues or themes to
be discussed, and any modifications to the structure of the session.

* Debate. The debate format can be an effective way to present
two opposing views about a topic. One structure for a debate would be to
have a moderator and two, two-person teams. The debate begins with the
moderator offering an overview of the topic the proposition to be
debated. One team presents arguments that affirm the proposition and the
other team presents arguments against the proposition. Each team member
has a fixed amount of time (e.g., 10 minutes) to present arguments. Time
for rebuttal can be incorporated into the session and/or a discussant
can sum up the main points of the session. When submitting a debate
proposal, be sure to include a statement of the proposition to be
debated and descriptions of the major points likely to be argued by each
side.

* Resource/Exhibit/Vendor Center. The conference will have a
resource/exhibit/vendor section that features exhibits. The Center will
be open throughout the event. Exhibitors are asked to be available
during these hours.

RULES OF PARTICIPATION

Abstracts are due Friday, August 25th, 2006. By submitting an abstract,
the presenter(s) agree, if their proposal is accepted, to make any
required changes to the final abstract and to submit other supporting
materials by the due dates indicated in the acceptance letter.
Acceptance letters will be issued prior to or by September 29th, 2006.
Proposals for accepted presentations will be considered the final
presentation abstracts (in most cases) and will be printed in the
conference binder. The presenter also agrees to provide a Word,
Powerpoint or electronic version of his/her presentation by the
committee's deadline, otherwise the presenter is responsible for
providing copies of materials to audience.

Conference presentation abstracts, and presenter bio and contact
information will be published in the conference binder.

All presenters must register for the conference; registration fees will
be waived for the presenter. If a group of persons is presenting, a
single registration fee will be waived.

SUBMISSION FORMAT AND INSTRUCTIONS

Proposal submissions must include, in the following order:

* Name, Title, Organization, Mailing Address, Phone, Fax, and
email address (In cases, where multiple individuals are involved with
the project, please only provide information for the individual(s)
actually conducting the presentation.

* The title and topic of the presentation proposal from the
Conference Workshops Tracks/Topics or the title of a new topic area
related to the stated conference objectives or topical themes. Please
also note first and second choices for the type of presentation being
proposed--workshop, exhibit, training session, etc. (please see the
descriptions above).

* A brief (3-5 paragraph) description of the specific
issue/initiative to be addressed. As part of the 3-5 paragraphs, please
address what is innovative or has been measurably successful about your
experience, how it can be adapted by others, and what lessons it offers
to improve the mainstream health system. Please also describe the
teaching approach and take-home tools, techniques, or resources to be
offered.

* A brief narrative bio that highlights the presenter's
experience/expertise in the area he/she is presenting.

* Any presenter fees should be included as one per diem rate
(inclusive of travel, lodging, meals, etc.) in the conference abstract.

Abstracts are due Friday, August 25th, 2006.

We request that you submit your proposal as a Word document attachment
to your e-mail. If you propose a presentation for more than one
workshop, please send a separate proposal submission for each, in a
separate email. We require all submissions by email to:
interpreter@...

Please address any questions regarding format or proposals to:

David Jones

Director of Interpretation Services

djones@...

Mercy Medical Center

1111 6th Avenue

Des Moines, Iowa 50314

Tel: 515-247-8255/tty 515-643-7446/fax 515-643-2859

DRAFT CONFERENCE AGENDA

Dates: Friday, March 30th, 2007 - Saturday, March 31st, 2007

* Friday, March 30th, 2007 - Opening Conference Event

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Registration/Appetizer Reception

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Welcome, Opening Speaker and Entertainment

(Open to the public)



* Saturday, March 31st, 2007 - Conference Workshops

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Registration/Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m. to 10:00 Keynote Speaker

10:15 a.m. Break

10:15 a.m. to 11:45 Workshops A Series (four individual
workshops)

11:45 a.m. Break

12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Keynote Speaker

1:09 p.m. Break

1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Workshops B Series (four individual workshops)

2:45 p.m. Break

3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Workshops C Series (four individual workshops)

4:30 p.m. Break

4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Workshops D Series (four individual workshops)

6:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Conference Wrap up





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