- (1) Applicants seeking Health Care Interpreter (HCI) certification or qualification shall provide written verification of the successful completion of at least 60 hours of Authority-approved formal training, including a minimum of:
(a) Fifty-two hours of integrated medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, introductory health care interpreting concepts and modes, including supervised practice; and
(b) Eight hours of Health Care Interpreting Ethics.
(2) Health Care Interpreter (HCI) training programs seeking approval from the Authority shall submit an application prescribed by the Authority and must receive written confirmation of approval from the Authority before the Authority will consider instruction to students to count toward a student’s 60-hour HCI training requirement. Programs must demonstrate that they meet all required elements outlined in these rules and in the formal application materials to be approved.
(a) To receive and maintain approval of their core curriculum, a training program must:
(A) Include a minimum of fifty-two hours of instruction in anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and introductory health care interpreting concepts and modes;
(B) Include a minimum of eight hours of instruction in health care interpreting ethics and standards of practice as outlined in these rules;
(C) Incorporate instruction in message conversion, discourse analysis, speech delivery, idiomatic and regional language variation, memory and note-taking strategies, and self-assessment;
(D) Include all three primary modes of interpreting: consecutive, simultaneous, and sight translation, and provide exposure to basic written translation; and
(E) Include cultural competency training covering how culture affects health and health care delivery.
(b) To be approved and to maintain approval, training programs must demonstrate the use of at least two reflective (R) and two active (A) instructional strategies, such as but not limited to lectures with visual aids, guest speakers, role plays, case studies, and simulations.
(c) Assessment and attendance. To be approved and to maintain approval training programs must:
(A) Require 100% attendance for successful completion; and
(B) Include both formative and summative assessments to evaluate interpreter readiness.
(d) Program approval and renewal:
(A) OHA-approved training programs must renew their approval every three years by submitting to the Authority a renewal application prescribed by the Authority.
(B) Programs must notify OHA within 30 days of any substantive changes to curriculum, instructional staff, or organizational structure.
(C) OHA reserves the right to observe training sessions at any time for quality assurance purposes.
(e) Application resubmission. If a training program’s application is not complete:
(A) After the first notice that an application is not complete, the training program may correct the application and resubmit immediately.
(B) After a second notice that an application is not complete, the training program must wait a minimum of three months from the date on the application notification before resubmitting.
(C) After a third notice that an application is not complete, and each subsequent notice, the training program must wait a minimum of six months from the date on the application notification before resubmitting.
(f) Application denial or revocation. Training programs whose application is denied, or approval is revoked, must wait a minimum of two years from the date on the application denial or revocation notification before reapplying.
(g) All health care interpreter training programs seeking approval under this rule must be physically based in the United States and must conduct their administrative and instructional operations within U.S. jurisdictions.
(h) Programs must provide documentation verifying their U.S. presence, which may include:
(A) A current business license issued by a U.S. state or local government.
(B) A physical address within the United States where instruction or administration occurs.
(C) A copy of the program’s IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN) registration or tax-exempt status, if applicable.
(D) A signed attestation from the program director confirming that all instruction and program oversight occur within the United States.
(i) The Authority may use a variety of methods to verify the program’s United States presence and those found to be operating outside of the U.S. or misrepresenting their location may be denied approval of have their approval revoked.
Statutory/Other Authority
ORS 413.558
Statutes/Other Implemented
413.558 & ORS 413.556
History
EID 3-2025, amend filed 10/24/2025, effective 11/01/2025
PH 16-2023, renumbered from 333-002-0060, filed 04/14/2023, effective 04/14/2023
PH 48-2022, amend filed 04/27/2022, effective 07/01/2022
PH 18-2016, f. 6-9-16, cert. ef. 7-1-16
PH 2-2011, f. & cert. ef. 3-1-11
PH 15, 2010(Temp), f. 7-13-10, cert. ef. 7-15-10 thru 1-10-11
PH 18-2006, f. & cert. ef. 8-2-06