The Organization was formed on February 21, 1992 for charitable, and educational purposes, including (a) to define educational requirements and qualifications for medical interpreters and translators; (b) to establish professional standards of practice and norms of medical interpretation and translation; (c) to promote the establishment of professional interpretation and translation departments within medical institutions and related agencies; (d) to act as a clearing house for the collection and dissemination of information about medical interpretation/translation and related issues and (e) to promote research into issues of cross cultural communication in the healthcare setting.