Cindy’s Bio

Cindy Roat is one of the nation’s premier authorities on language access in health care.

Cynthia E. Roat is an international consultant on language access in health care. A native of upstate New York, she spent a decade working in rural areas of Latin America before moving to Seattle to earn her Masters degree in International Public Health from the University of Washington. Ms. Roat entered the interpreting world in 1992 and quickly became certified by Washington State as a medical and social-service Spanish-English interpreter. Her interest in systems change, however, led her into teaching interpreters, trainers and medical providers the basics of interpreting practice and consulting with healthcare administrators around the country on how to improve their language access programs. Most recently, Ms. Roat spent three years at Seattle Children’s Hospital, managing their unique Bilingual Patient Navigator program, before returning to her national consulting work.

Over the past two decades, Ms. Roat has made significant contributions, both in the U.S. and abroad, in many areas of language access. She is the author of a wide array of key resources in the field and the primary developer of the original version of Bridging the Gap, for many years the country’s most widely-offered training for health care interpreters. Her most recent book, Healthcare Interpreting in Small Bites, is being adopted as an ancillary text in many interpreter training programs. Ms. Roat has consulted for a variety of large medical centers and healthcare systems. Always concerned about building grassroots capacity, Ms. Roat has been a mentor to interpreters, trainers and Language Access Coordinators around the U.S. She is a founding member of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC), where she was a long-time Board member and Chair of various committees, a founding member of the Washington State Coalition on Language Access (WASCLA), and a former board member of the Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS) where she currently organizes regular interpreter training workshops through the Medical Special Interest Group. She is known nationally as an engaging speaker, a knowledgeable resource, and an energetic advocate for language access in general.


Courses
Upcoming/Latest
Interpreting for Autism Spectrum Disorder Services

This interactive 7-hour synchronous online webshop is designed for experienced interpreters and will prepare learners to provide interpreting services for patients with autism spectrum disorder, their families and the providers who serve them. Developed with input from national ASD experts.

7 hrs
From Medical to Mental Health : Adjusting Interpreting Techniques

This all-day interactive workshop is designed to prepare experienced interpreters who have already received basic training to provide quality interpreting services in behavioral health settings.

8 hrs
Introduction to Healthcare Interpreting

Interpreting is a fast growing industry in the United States, and in no area is there more need for interpreters than in health and human services. In this class, you will learn how to work as a professional interpreter in the rewarding field of health and human services.

3 hrs
Asynchronous
Interpreting for Oral Health

One to two-hour classes on dental hygiene, dental restorations, denture services, oral surgery, and interpreting challenges in dentistry.

1-2 hrs
Interpreting for Prenatal Genetic Counseling

A rigorous introduction to key concepts in human genetics, covering the work of prenatal genetic counselors, and the interpreting challenges that often come up in this setting. This course includes a lot of technical vocabulary as well as useful interpreting practice.

hrs
Advanced Guide to Diabetes

This 10-hour Certificate of Attendance online course will help interpreters with advanced skills expand their knowledge in the world of diabetes care. An initial narrated PowerPoint will introduce the anatomy and physiology of the human endocrine system; the nature of type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, symptoms, tests and treatments for the disease, as well as an introduction to the various health professionals who provide care to diabetic patients.

10 hrs