Medical Interpreting for Patients with Serious Illness: Interpreting in Palliative Care

Medical Interpreting for Patients with Serious Illness: Interpreting in Palliative Care

Thursday, January 22, 2026

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Hawaiʻi time)

Kōkua Mau and HITA proudly present a one-day, in-person training for experienced medical interpreters in Hawaiʻi. Palliative care conversations—especially those involving serious illness and end-of-life topics—can be some of the most challenging encounters to interpret linguistically, culturally, and personally. This interactive workshop is designed to help interpreters prepare to serve as effective members of palliative care teams.

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Workshop Overview

Palliative Care is the medical specialty that focuses on improving quality of life and relieving physical and emotional suffering for people experiencing serious illness. Because palliative care depends on regular, clear communication between patients, providers, and families, interpreters are key members of any palliative care team.

This multimedia, interactive training includes videos, slide-based instruction, and guided practice in interpreting and sight translation. Bilingual medical glossaries and practice activities will be provided.

Featured Speaker

Cindy Roat – International consultant and trainer on language access in health care with 30+ years of experience in healthcare interpreting. Cindy was the principal author of the original Bridging the Gap and is the author of Healthcare Interpreting in Small Bites. She is a founder and current board member of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC).

Workshop Highlights

• An Introduction to Palliative Care

• Interpreting Skills Applied to Palliative Care

• The Vocabulary of Palliative Care

• Sight Translation in Palliative Care

• The Impact of Emotion and Belief on Interpreting

• 7 CEUs (details below)

Languages Supported (Bilingual Glossaries & Practice Activities)

• Cantonese (Traditional Chinese)

• Chuukese

• Ilocano

• Japanese

• Korean

• Kosraean

• Mandarin (Simplified Chinese)

• Marshallese

• Pohnpeian

• Spanish

• Tagalog

• Vietnamese

Workshop Details

• Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026

• Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Hawaiʻi time)

• Format: In-person

• Cost: $50 (offered at a reduced rate thanks to grant support)

• Capacity: Limited to the first 25 applicants

• Lunch: Provided for registered participants

Register

Register by 5:00 PM on January 14, 2026.

Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6W3gI4gEPf294hj4OEIbyRLi_w86xkTu3oYdVfIxpopRiEw/viewform

Notes:

• Please submit a separate registration form for each person registering. Palliative-Care-Interpreter-Wor…

• After registering, you will receive an email confirmation. If you do not receive a confirmation, your registration did not go through.

Scholarships

Full scholarships are available for participants from the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of Palau. A dedicated COFA languages workshop for Chuukese, Kosraean, Marshallese, and Pohnpeian is offered on Saturday, January 24. Complete the scholarship application and you will be notified if you qualify.

Continuing Education

This course has been approved for 7 CE credits by CCHI and 0.7 CEUs for IMIA/NBCMI. Certificates of Attendance will be awarded to participants who arrive on time and stay for the entire workshop.