Sign Language Certified Medical Interpreter (wage position)

Communication is fundamental to safe, compassionate healthcare. As a Sign Language Certified Medical Interpreter at UVA Health, you will play a critical role in ensuring Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing patients have meaningful access to care, empowering them to fully understand their health, participate in decisions, and engage confidently with their care teams.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced ASL interpreter to serve in a highly visible role within one of Virginia's premier academic health systems. Working across a broad spectrum of clinical specialties, you will help remove communication barriers while supporting exceptional patient experiences and advancing equitable access to healthcare.

The Role

As a member of Interpreter Services, you will function as a trusted communication specialist supporting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing patients throughout UVA Health. This role offers significant independence, variety, and impact, with opportunities to engage in both routine and highly complex clinical encounters across inpatient and outpatient settings.

In a typical day, you will manage a schedule of patient appointments, collaborate with care teams, and travel between clinical locations to provide professional interpretation services that support patient understanding, safety, and informed decision-making.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing professional ASL interpretation during inpatient and outpatient clinical encounters.

• Supporting communication between patients, families, physicians, nurses, and interdisciplinary care teams.

• Coordinating communication access services across multiple UVA Health locations.

• Interpreting in a variety of healthcare environments and specialties.

• Serving as a primary resource for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing patient populations throughout the health system.

• Collaborating with spoken-language interpreters and other communication access professionals when encounters require multiple interpretation services.

• Supporting complex patient situations, including communication accommodations for Deaf-Blind individuals and patients requiring specialized interpreting approaches.

• Traveling between UVA Health facilities as needed while maintaining exceptional professionalism, confidentiality, and interpreter ethics.

This position offers a consistent Monday through Friday schedule from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and provides the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with patients and care teams while making a direct impact on healthcare accessibility.

Why UVA Health

UVA Health is a nationally recognized academic medical center where patient care, education, research, and innovation come together to improve lives. Interpreter Services is an essential part of that mission, helping patients overcome communication barriers and ensuring equitable access to world-class healthcare.

This position offers the chance to become a primary ASL resource within the health system, supporting a highly specialized patient population while building expertise across numerous clinical specialties.

Highlights of this opportunity include:

• High-impact work serving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing patients across the continuum of care.

• A respected role within a leading academic medical center known for clinical excellence and innovation.

• Exposure to a wide variety of specialties, patient populations, and care settings.

• Significant autonomy and professional responsibility within daily practice.

• A collaborative Interpreter Services team that values partnership, communication, and patient advocacy.

• Opportunities to support complex communication needs, including Deaf-Blind patients, tactile interpretation environments, and collaboration with Deaf interpreters.

• Meaningful work that directly improves patient understanding, safety, and healthcare outcomes.

• Potential future transition of the position into a full-time, benefits-eligible opportunity as organizational needs continue to evolve.

For experienced ASL professionals seeking a position where their expertise is genuinely valued, this role provides the chance to make a lasting difference every day while contributing to a mission-driven healthcare organization.

Why People Love Living in Charlottesville

Nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville offers a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural richness, and professional opportunity. Residents enjoy easy access to hiking, cycling, vineyards, outdoor recreation, award-winning restaurants, and a vibrant arts community. Home to a nationally recognized university and a thriving healthcare community, the area provides an exceptional quality of life with the balance many healthcare professionals seek. Whether enjoying mountain views, historic downtown attractions, or family-friendly neighborhoods, Charlottesville offers an outstanding place to build both a career and a life.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education: High School or equivalent required; Completion of accredited interpreter training program required.

Experience: None.

Licensure: Required licensure must be attained within one year of hire or transfer, see position specifications for accepted licensure.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Job requires frequently traveling (distance: minimum 1 mile/daily). Proficient communicative, auditory and visual skills; Attention to detail and ability to write legibly.

Ability to lift up to 20 pounds maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may only be a negligible amount, a job is in this category when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree

UVA Health is a world-class Magnet Recognized academic medical center and health system with a level 1 trauma center. 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals" guide rates UVA Health University Medical Center as "High Performing" in 5 adult specialties and 14 conditions/procedures. We are one of 70 National Cancer Institute designated cancer centers. UVA Health Children's is named by 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report as the best children's hospital in Virginia with 9 specialties ranked among the best in the nation. Our footprint also encompasses 3 community hospitals and an integrated network of primary and specialty care clinics throughout Charlottesville, Culpeper, Northern Virginia, and beyond.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.