On March 1st, 2010, I set out on a journey that would change my life—and hopefully, the lives of countless others. Alongside my dad, I founded Linguava with one clear mission: to transform the medical language services industry by putting people first and creating a company that truly lived out its core values, mission and vision. This milestone is not just a celebration of our growth as a company; it’s a reflection of why we started in the first place and the impact we’ve made together.
A Crusade, Not Just a Career
My journey in language services began in 2008 as a medical interpreter. After spending five incredible years working in Sevilla, Spain, I returned to Portland, Oregon, and began my journey as a medical interpreter. Joining a local language services company, I immediately fell in love with the work. I loved helping provide patients a seat at the table, and helping their voice be heard when it mattered most. I witnessed firsthand how a single interpreted conversation could change a diagnosis, bring comfort to a worried family, or empower a patient to make informed decisions about their health.
But as much as I loved the work, I also experienced extreme pain. I worked for an agency that failed to support its interpreters. Training to providers was nonexistent. There was no sense of community. And then there were the bounced checks—multiple times. When this would happen, I would call the agency who would either not answer my calls or if they did, would give me a run around. I felt helpless to be honest. I knew there had to be a better way. This is where my crusade to build something completely different began.
The Birth of Linguava: A New Standard
In 2010, I took the leap with my dad to build something different. I didn’t know what I was doing, and multiple people thought I was crazy. The vision I had for the company was always crystal clear. We envisioned a company that would not only provide exceptional interpretation and translation services, but also deeply invest in its people. Linguava would be a place where interpreters felt valued and supported, staff were excited to be a part of the mission, and the healthcare community would seek us out for language services.
The early days were anything but easy. Like any new venture, we faced our share of problems, fires and seemingly insurmountable challenges. But what kept us going was the belief that language access is a human right and that we could create a company where both clients and interpreters felt a true partnership and sense of community. We knew that if we did this, the end users—the patients, would ultimately benefit the most resulting in improved health outcomes.
15 Years of Impact: What We’ve Built Together
As I look back over these past 15 years what I am most proud of is not just the growth. I am most proud of the fact that we have remained true to our core values, mission, and vision which has allowed us to grow. I think far too often companies get it backwards and they lose focus of their core identity by only chasing growth. At Linguava we are passionate about helping patients find their seat at the table to fully participate in their healthcare regardless of what language they speak or sign. This is what drives us.
Looking back, I am humbled by what we’ve accomplished as a team:
- More than 1.5 million patients served
- ISO Certified 17100, 9001, 18587
- Launched Linguava Interpreter Academy
- Multiple staff with 10+ years of tenure
- Multiple clients with 10+ years of tenure
- 2024 – 4th Fastest Growing Company in Language Services Industry – Nimdzi
- 2024 – #88 of Top 100 Language Service Providers – Nimdzi
- 2024 – #57 / Leader in Language Service Provider Index
What’s Next? The Future of Linguava
While celebrating 15 years is a huge milestone, we know our work is far from done. In many ways it feels like we are just getting started. Our vision at Linguava is to be the go-to company that employees take pride in, linguists are excited to be partnered with, and the healthcare community trusts as the premier choice for exceptional language services. The language services industry continues to evolve, and so must we. Over the next three years, we will take impactful actions that align with our values, benefiting the employees, clients, linguists and the patients we serve. Together, we will continue to build a company where we grow responsibly, employees are supported, and teams excel.
Because of YOU
Linguava would not be where it is today without our incredible team, linguists, clients, and partners. To everyone who has been part of this journey, thank you. Your passion, dedication, and belief in our mission continue to inspire me every day.
Here’s to the next 15 years of helping empower patients to fully participate in their health care no matter what language they speak or sign.
About Linguava
Linguava Interpreters has been a driving force in the medical language services industry. As a full-service language company, we offer video and telephonic interpretation, along with document translation, available around the clock. Our team comprises a diverse array of professionals committed to delivering comprehensive, responsive, and top-quality language access for patients, providers, families, and health insurance companies. We also provide client training and ongoing support, solidifying our commitment to raising the bar for language access standards. We are passionate about helping patients find their seat at the table to fully participate in their healthcare regardless of what language they speak or sign.
At Linguava, we are here to support you as your partner in language access. We are ISO 9001, 17100, and 18587 certified, ensuring quality translations. As a leading provider of medical language services for the healthcare industry, we offer a wide range of services to help medical practices incorporate language access successfully. These include Translation and Localization , Scheduled Video Interpretation, Video Remote Interpretation, Over the Phone Interpretation, and American Sign Language Interpretation.
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