medical interpreter

spanish interpreter

sign language interpreter

AMN Language Services

and no workplace is without its flaws.  However, if you prioritize work/life balance and don't mind sitting in front of a screen for a few hours, this is a great place.  The work is fast-paced if you interpret for one of the more in-demand languages.  Usually only a 30 second "breather' between calls.  However, if you have to do a tech report, you lose that tiny break, too.
They have high expectations from their interpreters, but I would expect no less from a good company.  I like being in the company of amazing interpreters, and everyone is encouraging and helpful.   I've had three supervisors (due to overwhelming growth) and all three have been wonderful.
Some things to consider when seeking employment:  Negotiate your hiring rate.  You probably will not get a raise.  Even with its constant expansion, the pay continues to be the same.  Full time opportunities are few and far between, and will be offered to those who have proved themselves to be able to handle it.  So, if you need benefits or to work more than 29 hours consistently, this is probably not a good fit.
We are at the mercy of technology, so it's not always a smooth ride.  Calls are lost, audio can be tricky, locations can be noisy, etc.  You must be ready to roll with those punches and not let it upset you.  Sometimes clients take out their frustrations about those problems on you.  If you are easily discouraged by these mishaps, you might want to seek employment as an in-house interpreter.
There is no way to know what you will be facing when you answer that call.  Constant learning and growth are a requirement for this type of employment.  We do have an online forum where we interact with other interpreters, and many times you can get quick help if you are faced with an unknown term (or country-specific slang).
My own experience with Stratus has been mostly positive.  Reading some previous reviews, I saw a mix of positive and negative.  Yes, it is constantly changing.  There was indeed an elimination of a whole department, and it was difficult for those involved, as I'm sure it was more so for those dismissed.  They are outsourcing, but it does work to our advantage too.  We now get holidays because we have teams from other countries to work on our national holidays and vice-versa.  It is a work-from-home position, so that brings its own set of advantages and disadvantages.  
In conclusion, it works for me.  This doesn't mean it works for everyone.  But compared to many companies, and specifically to interpreting jobs out there, you could do a lot worse than Stratus.

I knew that I absolutely loved interpreting when I applied to Stratus Video as a Medical Video Interpreter. But I never imagined how any company could be such a wonderful place! My previous employers had been very nice. But this place is clearly in a category of its own! My colleagues are a source of joy. We have fun on our chat platform. Sometimes we disagree, but nobody gets personally attacked. The implication is always that our views may differ, but we still like one another! We also learn from one another - both enriching our own language glossaries and also debating situations that challenge the known interpretation best-practices. We encourage one another. We exchange experiences and try to learn from one other. We all work in different geographical places, but we know one another and support one another with schedule swaps - if and when we can.

The culture is so positive that anyone who is arrogant or on a power-trip would stick out like a sore thumb. :) That is a great way to discourage proud people! 

My manager sees the best in people and yet she is not afraid to do what needs to be done to protect the team, our clients & patients, the company, aka, OUR JOBS! The standards are high and we are monitored and our weaknesses are addressed. At first there were some hiccups in the manner that was done. Now, the QA and corrective actions are done increasingly in a very positive way, across the board. The QA colleagues are very polite and congenial. In my experience, all correction has been done in a very pleasant, respectful and professional way. One month into my job I made a serious mistake. I was moritified. My manager's response was the most encouraging that I could have imagine! And nothing has changed in her manner. We can be real at this job - no need to pretend that we are perfect. Because of that ability to be real, we can actually identify weaknesses, learn, grow and get better. 

 The positive culture of the company is incredibly important to its leadership and anything that can undermine it, once it is known by them, is swiftly addressed. I have worked here for over 2 years and can tell you that if you are an excellent medical interpreter and you have the opportunity to come to work as an interpreter for Stratus, please don't hesitate.  I promise that you will not regret it!  I am very thankful for my job and would not work anywhere else.

Yes you work from home, but you have to bend over backwards for the "office/studio" they demand from you. They fired me because of the power outages I had, including the possibility of one due to a storm coming our way, but the manager insisted it was not a disciplinary action. If you are disabled, they do not take it into consideration. If you have IBS, wear a diaper, because if you can't wait to go on your break, your restroom break will be added to those breaks, making them longer. They tell you one thing in training and another while at work. They do not provide you with any one on one time with a lead or supervisor to discuss your quality reports. And even in those they contradict themselves in what they want from you.

The disingenuous manner in which they claim they are "pro employee" gaslights any new recruits, but their operations are shady at the very least. Their manual even states they can fire you at any time for whatever reason, even one that is beyond the employee's fault.

Management does not communicate properly. If you follow procedure and you send a doctor's note or proof that you have no electricity it never gets sent to your manager. And don't bother to send your manager a direct message, he will respond days later, if at all.  The continued training is left up to you, to do in your own time without pay and without anyone to guide you over it.

Workforce management and scheduling play Russian roulette with time keeping, showing different availability of time off during the same shift among different people.

They require you to dress a certain way but they don't provide you with uniform, and even if you comply, they will tell you that your shirt is wrong, even if it does follow the guidelines provided.

The co-workers are a lottery of some who are really there for you and others who are there just to brown nose management. The team leads are undertrained so their help is minimal. 

This has been the worst company to ever work for. And to stand that plus the pressure of the work itself, to have providers and hospital personnel that interrupt you, don't let you do your greeting, nor let you interpret properly, for the low pay they give you, and benefits that are below average? Don't even bother.  This is not a place you want to work for.

Although Stratus was recently acquired and we don't know if the polices would change. Up to know I do like to work here. It is not a robotic call center, although some hours are off, and like in other companies  life/work balance is hard because of scheduling and to schedule vacation time is difficult.
Despite that management does care we are interpreters, it does offer a certain ownership of your own work, trains in very important issues for interpreters,  carry on ethics and hear us and they hires up to now the best interpreters on the nation. We work as a team, communicate with each other at all times on tips and vocabulary, we are all seasoned interpreters, and respect each others work. 
They pay per hour is good, not optimum, as compared to live interpreters in hospital settings make double,  but also are at risk.
This does not occur in a setting of call center based interpreters who are trained on the job and treated as if they were robots made to simply answer calls. That is not the case up to now, However AMN Healthcare is taking over, I hope they continue to respect the company's culture and make it better by not transforming this excellent company in just another call center based on super call answer productivity and  metrics in which interpreters are treated like imbeciles and supervisors crushed and obliged to write up for any reason.  We are the best and respected for a reason of respect for our chosen profession.

I started collaborating with Stratus in 2017. I write down each call I received date time and language (Bulgarian and Russian was what I provide). After 1 month I noticed that the actual call volume is not registered Property. They were paying me less than what I actually did interpret for. 
They will omit long call's from the call report they send to you, and after just don't pay you for it. When I addressed the problem the management requested me to submit the missing calls so they pay next billing cycle ... They never paid me for this CALLS I interpret. 
After 6 months making the same request I get tired of fighting, the management are ugly ABUSIVE disrespectful and molesting towards me!!! Up-to-date nobody has addressed and respond to my request. They mock me and attached me. This is the worse working environment I have ever been in!!! . I don't reccomend them, them. Terrible ugly and stressful. Not paying. I also offered to volemeer and work free 1 hour a week but them to be respectful and not make full of me!!! They insulted me as response!!! They ignored my calls and emails for over 6 months!!! After I said I am leaving the aggement, they SENT ME FIRED ME EMAIL for my birthday!!!The team manager needs to go to intensive therapy. I feel lucky to be out of this offensive for human rights and dignity environment!!!

Job expectations are very clear. You need to be punctual, efficient and exceptional when working for stratus as a bilingual CSR (customer service representative). Some of us are remotes and work from home while others work from offices. Your coworkers make you feel extremely comfortable at your work place. Everyone is so friendly and willingly helpful. Supervisors and management team are they best I’ve ever had. They are extremely helpful, listen to you and your concerns and attentive to anything going wrong in our department. They reach out to us monthly to see how we’re doing and if we have any suggestions for company improvements. The pay isn’t too bad but we do a lot of work and I would expect us to get paid a little better. But our benefits make up for it. Plus overtime is Always available. This is inbound only and it gets really REALLY busy non stop. You have to be quick and your customer service skills have to be proficient and transparent.

They’re very friendly, helpful, structured and organized. The pay is good but they mostly hire part time employees and they say that they’re cutrentoky not hiring full time but they’ll notify you when there is an opportunity available.  
The manager is nice and helpful but sometimes takes long to respond so if you’re in urgent help you’re more than likely to not get prompt assistance because they have other tasks/interpreters to take care of first. It’s not the managers fault though; they have about a hundred if not more team members per team. That’s too much for one manager alone.  They should hire more supervisors and form smaller teams, that way they can properly attend to their team and their needs in a quick manner. Other than that everything is great. Co-workers are so sweet, friendly and there’s a sense of camaraderie.   
I love working here and love that I still get to help with my language skills from the comfort of my home while they are still able to see me via video. Stratus does have both the provider/patient and interpreter in mind.

A typical day sees rapid-fire call rate for most languages with 1 15-minute break and 1 30-minute lunch. If you use the restroom, step away from your space, or have a heart attack, it's all added to your DAILY 15-minute break time. Fear, threats, and false expressions of gratitude underpin nearly constant efforts to pay NATIONALLY-certified professionals far less than their worth. 

Talk is given about patients and providers being highest priority, but this is patently false. Highest priority is paying interpreters as little as possible in favor of managers and execs, while working to remove all possible interpreter daily "human time" to squeeze those extra pennies. Soon AI interpreting will be available- but not today. 

Interpreters are becoming increasingly worried that a call center ethic is creeping into their field- their concern is 100% correct. Since the video interpreting field lacks anything resembling a union despite desperate need, companies such as Stratus will continue to demean the very employees upon whose business models they are based.

What is the best part of working at the company?
My boss. The culture, you are remore but never alone. 4wks paid time off, could be better but at least you get the occasional day off paid.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Some medical providers manners leave a lot to be desired. If you need to take a sick day it comes out of your PTO any little bit you miss past 5 minutes of work for must be accounted with PTO, no wiggle room. Maybe they are trying for a win win tying our interests w their but then your 4 wks off start vanishing.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Friendly, supportive, in our team we all have each other's back. It has the mindset of growth and self improvement. You go to work happy regardless of the challenges.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Back to back video calls  with 30 seconds in between each call. 2, 15 minute breaks and 30 min lunch.  No view to the outside even if you have a nice huge window it must be covered.

For the time being, that is in 2020 Stratus offers the highest rates for the VR healthcare interpreters. All other companies pay less and care less. Stratus has been the best place I worked at as an interpreter. 
The company has been taken over by AMN just before pandemic, so it is hard to say what the future will bring. 
If you work as a healthcare interpreter please remember there is no option for promotion and often no option for the full time employment. There is no raise either. Some languages have no full time employment, just part time. This job is good for someone who wants to learn more about healthcare, who retired, who otherwise cannot find a better job, or does not need to provide for the family. If your family has a solid income, then working as a VRI interpreter may provide some additional money you can save for the future. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Medical interpreter 30 salaries reported	$59.50 per hour
Spanish interpreter 2 salaries reported	$46.25 per hour
Sign language interpreter 3 salaries reported	$65.00 per hour

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