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Day 1 COFA Languages for Medical Interpreting for Patients with Serious Illness

January 23, 2026 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm HST

Palliative Care is the medical specialty that focuses on improving quality of life and relieving physical and emotional suffering for people who are experiencing a serious illness. Since palliative care depends on regular, clear communication between patients, providers, and families, interpreters are key members of any palliative care team. Nationally recognized interpreter trainer Cindy Roat from Seattle, WA will be leading both 7-hour classes. This is a unique opportunity for Hawaiʻi, don’t miss it.

Day 1- Friday, January 23, 2026
9 am to 5 PM

Are you a speaker of COFA languages interested in taking the first steps toward becoming a professional interpreter? This one-day in-person workshop is for you. Day 1 covers tailor made training in:

  • The role of the COFA languages interpreter in health care settings in Hawaiʻi
  • Ethics and standards of practice for interpreters
  • What to do when “there is no word for that” in your language?
  • Message analysis and conversion
  • Next steps to becoming a professional interpreter and get paid for your skills

This interactive class will include presentations, video, role-plays, discussion and language-specific practice guided by a language coach who speaks your language pair.

Requirements: To participate in this once-only opportunity, candidates need to:

  • Speak English and one (or more) of the following languages fluently: Marshallese, Kosraean, Pohnpeian, Chuukese.
  • Be available to participate on-site at the training venue in Honolulu from 9:00 to 5:00 on Friday, January 23rd.
  • Have an interest in serving as an interpreter for their communities in health care settings.
  • Lunch will be provided to registered participants

Registration         Apply and REGISTER before 5:00 p.m. on January 14, 2026.

This is the first time we offer this in-person training in Hawaiʻi so please join us and tell your colleagues. This training is supported by grants from the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Fund for Heath Equity and the Hawaii Association for Health Plans.

Palliative Care is available in different settings in Hawaiʻi, including hospitals and in-home settings.  There is a new Med-QUEST palliative care benefit in Hawaiʻi so there should be an increased need for palliative care interpretation, as it gets implemented.

To learn more about Palliative Care, and our multi-lingual resources in 13 languages visit the Kōkua Mau website: https://kokuamau.org/palliative-care-for-patients-and-families/