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Day 2 COFA Languages for Medical Interpreting for Patients with Serious Illness – Interperting in Palliative Care

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

Day 2 – Saturday, January 24th from9 am to 5 PM

This interactive seven-hour workshop is designed to prepare experienced, trained medical interpreters of COFA languages to work in palliative care settings in Hawaiʻi Or those participants who completed the January 23 training the day before.

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.

Saturday, January 24, 2026
9 am to 5 PM

It includes:

  • 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

This multimedia, interactive training includes videos, PowerPoint presentations, and practice of interpreting and sight translation. Bilingual medical glossaries and practice activities are provided in: Chuukese, Kosraean, Marshallese and Pohnpeian. If you are and interpreter in Hawaiʻi for any other language, please join us in January 22.

Where               In-Person (both days). Lunch will be provided to registered participants.

Cost                  $50. Scholarships are available for qualified COFA languages interpreters approved in our application process.  

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

  • Please note: space in this workshop is limited to the first 25 applicants.Please submit a separate registration form for each person registering.After registering, you will receive an email confirmation; if you do not receive a confirmation, your registration did not go through.

CE credits      This course on Sat. January 24, has been approved for 7 CE credits by CCHI and .7 for (IMIA) NBCMI. Certificates of Attendance will be awarded to all who arrive on time and stay for the entire workshop.

This is the first time we offer thisin-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/