CHAMPS offers medical Spanish language training for clinicians at Region VIII health centers each April. Cost and registration details will be available in January 2026.
These trainings are intensive medical Spanish workshops consisting of clinical vocabulary, mock patient dialogues, cross-cultural discussions, and daily practice. The course curriculum provides an immersion learning experience, an approach highly suitable for those with limited time and who must use their new language skills immediately with their Spanish-speaking patients. All Spanish Language for Healthcare Providers courses are held via Zoom.
Details about each course can be found below:
- Four-Day Medical Spanish Language for Providers
- Two-Day Spanish Language for Oral Health Providers
- Two-Day Spanish Language for Behavioral Health Providers
- Two-Day Medical Spanish Language for Advanced Spanish Speakers
- Two-Day Medical Spanish for Medical Assistants
FOUR-DAY MEDICAL SPANISH LANGUAGE FOR PROVIDERS
Dates: Thursday, April 9, Friday, April 10, Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17, 2026.
Description: This four-day course is an intensive conversational and medical Spanish workshop consisting of medical dialogues, mock patient dialogues, cross-cultural discussions, and daily practice. The course curriculum provides an immersion learning experience, an approach highly suitable for those with limited time, and who must use their new language skills immediately with their Spanish-speaking patients.
Beginner and intermediate skill levels will be offered, with separate virtual classrooms for each level. Ríos Associates will determine which skill level is appropriate for applicants based on participants’ completed self-assessment forms. A beginner level and an intermediate level will be offered, and the levels will be set depending on the skill levels of the registered participants. Although quite rare, if it is not possible to provide the needed skill level for an individual, full tuition will be refunded.
Registration: Registration for the 2026 Medical Spanish Language for Providers Course will open early January.
Please contact the CHAMPS Clinical Quality Improvement Director if you have any questions about this course.
TWO-DAY SPANISH LANGUAGE FOR ORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS
Dates: Monday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
Description: This two-day course is an intensive conversational and oral medical Spanish workshop consisting of dental dialogues, visual aids, cross-cultural discussions, and daily practice. The course curriculum provides an immersion learning experience. This approach is highly suitable for those with limited time who must use their new language skills immediately with their Spanish-speaking patients.
This two-day intensive will offer a single class for oral health providers. Complete beginner speakers and those with some Spanish language skills may attend this course. Speakers may be separated by skill level for small group work. Ríos Associates will determine whether this course is appropriate for applicants based on participants’ completed self-assessment forms. Oral health professionals with intermediate and advanced Spanish language skills are invited to attend the four-day intermediate or two-day advanced skills course.
Registration: Registration for the 2026 Medical Spanish Language for Providers Course will open early January.
Please contact the CHAMPS Clinical Quality Improvement Director if you have any questions about this course.
TWO-DAY SPANISH LANGUAGE FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS
Dates: Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Description: This two-day course is an intensive conversational and Behavioral Health Spanish workshop consisting of medical dialogues, role-plays, cross-cultural discussions, and practice. The course curriculum provides an immersion learning experience. This approach is highly suitable for those with limited time who must use their new language skills immediately with their Spanish-speaking patients.
Intermediate to advanced skill levels may participate in this combined classroom. Ríos Associates will determine whether this course is appropriate for applicants based on participants’ completed self-assessment forms. Behavioral Health Providers with beginner Spanish language skills are invited to attend the traditional four-day course.
Registration: Registration for the 2026 Medical Spanish Language for Providers Course will open early January.
Please contact the CHAMPS Clinical Quality Improvement Director if you have any questions about this course.
TWO-DAY MEDICAL SPANISH LANGUAGE FOR ADVANCED SPEAKERS
Dates: Monday, April 20 and Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
Description: This two-day course is an intensive conversational and medical Spanish workshop consisting of medical dialogues, visual aids, role plays, cross-cultural discussions, and daily practice. The course curriculum provides an immersion learning experience. This approach is highly suitable for those with limited time who must use their new language skills immediately with their Spanish-speaking patients.
This two-day intensive will offer only the advanced skill level. Ríos Associates will determine whether this course is appropriate for applicants based on participants’ completed self-assessment forms. Medical professionals with beginner and intermediate Spanish language skills are invited to attend the traditional four-day course.
Registration: Registration for the 2026 Medical Spanish Language for Providers Course will open early January.
Please contact the CHAMPS Clinical Quality Improvement Director if you have any questions about this course.
TWO-DAY MEDICAL SPANISH LANGUAGE FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANTS
Dates: Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24, 2026.
Description: This two-day course is a beginner-level intensive conversational medical Spanish workshop that includes medical dialogues, visual aids, cross-cultural discussions, and daily practice.
This immersion learning experience is particularly beneficial for those with limited time who need to apply their new language skills immediately with their Spanish-speaking patients.
The intensive format offers a single class designed specifically for medical assistants and related clinical support roles. The course will walk participants through the following aspects of a clinical visit:
- Pre-Visit and Follow-Up: This topic will include command forms (Ud.), effective in-person and phone communication skills, and promoting available resources for new patients.
- A Warm Welcome (Investing in the Beginning – Build Rapport and Trust): This topic will address culturally appropriate greetings and introductions, welcoming family members, and relevant vocabulary for taking vital signs.
- Reason for Visit: Participants will learn vocabulary for parts of the body, phrases to elicit the reason for a patient’s visit, expressions for conveying empathy, and an introduction to culture-bound syndromes.
- Other Rooming Tasks: This topic will focus on utilizing rooming tools, conducting effective history-taking, using command forms and simplified/polite command forms (Favor de + infinitive), and strategies for arranging for interpreters as needed.
- Closing and Goodbyes (Investing in the End): Participants will learn about culturally appropriate goodbyes, expressing well wishes for patients and their families, and vocabulary related to after-visit summaries and follow-up communication.
Registration: Registration for the 2026 Medical Spanish Language for Providers Course will open early January.
Please contact the CHAMPS Clinical Quality Improvement Director if you have any questions about this course.
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.Nelson Mandela