According to the 2020 Census, Hispanic/Latinx Minnesotans comprise approximately 345,640 or 6.1% of the state’s population. Of this number, 61% speak Spanish exclusively at home. More than simply a daily challenge, language barriers for ESL Minnesotans can be life threatening, especially in medical settings. Enter Johanna Díaz Torres and Elizabeth Quillo, co-founders of VIDA: Vital Interpreting Delivering Access, a Long Prairie, Minn.-based company whose mission is “…to empower and equip the Latin@ community and create equity in wellness through language services and increased access to resources.”

In this episode, host Anthony Gardner talks with Ms. Díaz Torres, a Spanish language medical interpreter and member of the MN Department of Health roster, and Ms. Quillo, a national-level certified medical interpreter for Spanish and nutrition ed ...