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Workshop: Bridging Health Literacy: Equipping Bilingual Health Workers

September 29 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm HST

Program Description: Serious illness conversations ask us to show deep care, clarity, and cultural respect. In Hawaiʻi, where many patients speak languages other than English and draw strength from ʻohana, these conversations carry even more meaning. Bridging Health Literacy: Equipping Bilingual Health Workers is a hands-on workshop that supports bilingual staff and interpreters in guiding patients through complex medical information with compassion and cultural grounding.

Tue 9/29
9 am to 3 PM

Participants will practice “talk story” approaches, explore common health literacy barriers in local communities, and learn strategies to help patients and families understand their options during serious illness and end‑of‑life discussions. Together, we strengthen communication across languages—so every patient feels heard, supported, and empowered in their care.

Learning Objectives

  1. Enhance culturally grounded communication skills so bilingual health workers can support patients and ʻohana in understanding serious illness information with clarity and compassion.
  2. Recognize and address health literacy barriers common in Hawaiʻi’s diverse communities, using “talk story” and other local communication practices to promote understanding.
  3. Build confidence in guiding sensitive conversations by integrating cultural values, respectful language support, and collaborative approaches with clinical teams during serious illness and end‑of‑life care discussions.

This workshop is free of charge to bilingual health care workers, Community Health Workers, and medical interpreters. Lunch and snacks will be provided.

To attend, please fill out this form https://forms.gle/EHEdYvFtwFsoxL5L6

This event will be held at The Church of The Crossroads in Honolulu. Details will be provided after registering. For more information, contact hope@kokuamau.org