CHIA
Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters.
The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CHIA) is one of two nationally recognized credentialing bodies for healthcare interpreters in the United States. CHIA awards the Certified Healthcare Interpreter (CHI) credential based on a written examination, an oral examination, and required prerequisite hours of formal training.
CHIA certification is currently available for Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Burmese. Interpreters in other languages can pursue the alternative NBCMI certification, which is available in additional languages.
Section 1557 of the ACA requires 'qualified interpreters' for healthcare encounters with LEP patients but does not specifically require CHIA or NBCMI certification. However, most healthcare compliance officers prefer credentialed interpreters because credentialing reduces the risk of OCR enforcement and patient complaints.