Our Mission
TransFluenciEDU now partners with many community colleges throughout the region to train bilingual individuals to work as medical, legal and remote interpreters in conformance with the standards and practices of the profession.
Meet Our Staff
Barbara J. Rodriguez
​Owner and Founder TransFluenci and Medical Interpreter
Barbara J. Rodriguez founded TransFluenci LLC, a successful community business providing language interpreting and translation services to private, public and government sectors. The company is an approved state vendor with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Connecticut providing translation/interpreting services to state agencies. Ms. Rodriguez holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from American International College and a Masters in Business Administration from Western New England College. In 2007, Ms. Rodriguez created the 60-Hr Medical Interpreting course and offers it in collaboration with Massachusetts and Connecticut community colleges.
Michael Baracchi
Instructor, CoreCHI Certified Medical Interpreter
Michael P Baracchi Jr, Qualified Medical/Community Interpreter (QMI), holds a bachelor’s degree in Inter-University Spanish & Descriptive Linguistics from Central Connecticut State University. During this period, he also completed a study-abroad program at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca Spain where his field of study was Spanish language and Culture. Mr Baracchi has provided interpretation services for a variety of hospitals and clinics throughout the greater Springfield area and Connecticut. As Manager of Interpreter Services for the Springfield School Department, Mr. Baracchi coordinates interpreter and translation services for the entire district consisting of nearly 60 schools.
Constantina Teixeira
Instructor, QMI Qualified Medical Interpreter
Tina Teixeira was born and raised in the Cape Verde Islands where her passion for languages began. She studied Portuguese, French and English. She has been a medical interpreter for 15 years for the Steward Health System and is currently Supervisor for the Interpreter Services Department at SSTAR, a global leader in addiction treatment and mental health services. She is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese ( European and Brazilian ) Cape Verdean Creole and Conversational French.
Jonathan Fitzgerald
Student Services Coordinator and CMI (Certified Medical Interpreter)
Jonathan Fitzgerald graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts during which time he was also enrolled in graduate level Spanish. Prior to that he studied business management with a minor in Spanish at Salem State College. He has been studying Spanish for more than 25 years, beginning with his first trip to Mexico at the age of 6. He is a nationally certified medical interpreter through the IMIA. He successfully completed the community and medical interpreting certificate programs at Boston University in 2010. Additionally, Jonathan received a certificate in the Advanced Translation program through the Iberian studies Department at the University of Massachusetts. He currently works as a staff interpreter at Massachusetts General Hospital and was recently awarded the Preceptor of Distinction Award for his work in training junior colleagues making their way into the profession.
Maria Vazquez
Instructor, CHI, Certified Healthcare Interpreter
Ms. Vazquez is a native Spanish speaker from Mexico. She has been working as a language teacher for 30 years. She attained English teacher licensure at UNAM in 1990. Ms. Vazquez has made several presentations as a motivational and educational speaker since 1995 on the topics of interpreting skills, teaching methods, continuing education for interpreters, and navigating cultural differences. Organizations that have hosted her include, IMIA, NETA, MassHealth and MassAHEC, the Boston Association for the Education of Young Children (BAEYC), and UMASS Medical School. Ms. Vazquez founded ESPEN Services in 2007, a medical interpretation and training services agency, and, she has also volunteered with Centro Presente Association preparing residents for citizenship as an ESL teacher in her community and as a CCD instructor for her local church.
Catherine Bermudez
Certified Medical Interpreter and VRI (Video Remote Interpreter)
Catherine Bermudez Sanabria, Certified Medical Healthcare Interpreter, holds a Masters in Education/ESL from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and specializes in VRI (Video Remote Interpreting and OPI (Over the Phone Interpreting). She formerly worked at Baystate Medical Center as a staff interpreter. She is an experienced medical interpreting instructor and, has also interpreted for Due Process Hearings, Unemployment Hearings, IEP School Department Hearings, and Department of Social Services Hearings.