11th Annual OHCIA Conference
Ethics & Unity
Across Languages
Saturday, April 25, 2026 // PCC Rock Creek Campus
This year we are planning a gathering that celebrates the shared intercultural community of interpreters of all languages. Our ethical standards of professionalism and professional development call on us to cultivate and uplift our community. Interpreters have unique experiences and backgrounds—have you ever wondered what sets apart the experiences of signed and spoken language interpreters, or frontier, rural, and urban interpreters, or remote and onsite interpreters? At this event, we will explore how we can show solidarity for one another through mentorship, advocacy, networking, and FUN!
Conference Details
When: April 25, 2026
Where:
Portland Community College Rock Creek Campus
17705 NW Springville Rd, Portland, OR 97229
Schedule & Cost: TBD
Registration: Registration open soon
Need to book a hotel for the conference?
Aloft Hillsboro-Beaverton is offering a discounted rate for interpreters.
👉 Book Now for a Reduced Rate*
*special link includes complimentary parking and free cancellation
CEU Times to be announced soon!
AM CEUs
CEU 1 - Translating Care in the Age of AI
Danlu Yang
CEU 2 - The Human Side of Accuracy: Empathy as a Professional Skill
Sonia Hernandez
CEU 3 - Beyond “Word for Word”: From Rules to Ethical Decision-Making in Health Care Interpreting
Luz Hernandez, Amanda Wheeler-Kay
CEU 4 - Thinking About Money
Theresa B. Smith, Ph.D., MCSC, SC:L
*Time Slot is Tentative
PM CEUs
CEU 1 - Mentoring in the Middle: Cultivating Your Next Steps
Donna Reiter Brandwein
CEU 2 - Setting Sustainable Interpreting Rates: Ethical, Legal, and Practical Considerations for Independent Contractors
sarah comerford
CEU 3 - It Takes Two: A Shared Framework for Language Justice
Toc Soneoulay-Gillespie, Anna Lynch
CEU 4 - Register: Achieving Message Accuracy
Alonna Watson
*Time Slot is Tentative
Check back soon for CEU and Workshop schedule times.
Interpreter of the Year Award
Help us recognize a health care interpreter who demonstrates excellence, professionalism, and a strong commitment to advancing health care equity through language access across Oregon.
Nominations are open to peers, managers, health care providers, and patients.
The nomination form is open now and closes on March 13th.
👉 Click here to nominate the Interpreter of the Year!
The 2026 Interpreter of the Year will be announced at the conference on April 25, 2026.
Eligibility Requirements:
Nominees must be qualified or certified by the State of Oregon in their language(s) of interpretation
Self-nominations are not accepted
Keynote Address
Keynote Speaker: Leda I Garside, RN, BSN, MBA
Leda I. Garside is a bilingual/bicultural Latina healthcare professional with 42 years of nursing experience, she retired from direct patient care in March of 2025, currently practicing part-time as an independent Professional Nurse Consultant.
Leda was key in the development, implementation and success of Hillsboro Medical Center iSalud! Services, serving as the Clinical Nurse Manager for 32 years. iSalud! was created in the early 1990’s by a group of Oregon wineries owners and physicians to address the health needs and barriers faced by vineyard stewards their families and is fully funded from proceeds of the
annual iSalud! The Oregon Pinot Noir Auction and other private donations. The comprehensive and wholistic clinical mobile services are provided throughout the year and have served as an example of excellence in mobile health and migrant health practices.
Leda’s career interests have centered around health policy, advocacy, migrant health, nursing education, nursing research, health career mentoring, cultural competencies, health promotion, early interventions, best practices in language interpretation services, and community health initiatives.
Being an active member in professional organizations, coalitions and boards are ways to give back to the community, provide a voice on how to work towards eliminating health disparities and provide the patient with best health services experiences.
Her lived experiences as a clinician centered working with the Latino/a/x and Mesoamerican indigenous communities and other BIPOC population, which have provided her with a solid foundation for understanding and connecting to the various communities that make up Oregon.
Leda has published peer review articles related to migrant heath and Latinos, and has been recognized by her peer for best practices in community health, advocacy, mentoring and nursing leadership. Leda is an excellent resource to ensure that -- no matter the project – the work will be grounded in diversity, equity and inclusion.
Conference Schedule, Sponsors and CEU information coming soon!
Meet & Greet Event
Join us for a Meet & Greet Event on Friday, April 24th, the evening before the conference begins. This casual gathering is a great opportunity to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and OHCIA members before the conference begins. OHCIA will provide light appetizers to those in attendance.
Stay tuned for more information!
Sponsors
If you are a potential sponsor interested in showcasing your organization and learning more about the benefits and opportunities of having a booth at OHCIA conference, interacting with attendees and other sponsors, etc., please review the Ethics & Unity Across Languages Sponsorship handout. If you are ready to become a sponsor, complete the 11th Annual OHCIA Conference Sponsorship form.
If you would like to learn more about these opportunities or need additional customization, please contact Catalina White-Madrid at cwmadrid@ohcia.org
Current Sponsors
Platinum Sponsorship Level
Linguava - linguava.com
At Linguava, we believe interpreters are vital to creating a more inclusive healthcare system. Based in Portland, we are Oregon’s largest full-service language access provider, offering services in over 250 languages. We proudly support interpreters with 60-hour training, CEUs, and workshops designed to foster growth, connection, and career success.
Gold Sponsorship Level
OCIN - oregoncertified.com
OCIN is a trusted interpretation agency founded, owned, and operated by professional interpreters. With deep roots in the community, they connect skilled language professionals with clinics, courts, and public service organizations across Oregon. OCIN is a strong advocate for interpreter rights and access, investing in the profession through scholarships, mentorship, and education.
Bronze Sponsorship Level
Oregon Judicial Department - courts.oregon.gov
Court Language Access Services (CLAS) provides interpreting in Oregon circuit courts for people with limited English proficiency in over 200 languages, as well as for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. The Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) employs schedulers, full-time Oregon Certified Spanish and ASL interpreters, and contracts with freelancers to serve most judicial districts. CLAS trains interpreters in the Code of Professional Responsibility, court ethics and protocols. Over 100 interpreters in Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, and other languages are certified or registered through CLAS programs. CLAS also maintains a roster for credential verification or hiring certified interpreters for out-of-court work.
Passport to Languages - passporttolanguages.com
Passport to Languages links professional interpreters and translators to individuals and organizations seeking interpretation and translation services. Our team has a real understanding of the issues that affect both our clients and their customers, and have a genuine enthusiasm for what they do. Our aim is to act as a trusted extension of our clients’ team; producing results that directly and positively impact on our client’s business objectives. We desire to measure success for our clients by being knowledgeable, punctual, flexible, responsive, and sincere. We place equally high value on our internal staff as well as our interpreters. This dynamic mix allows for a no-nonsense approach, clarity, and consistency. Passport to Languages is heavily engaged in embracing technology, and is proficient at providing its services in person, via telephone, video and the written word.
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) - irco.org
IRCO partners with interpreters and translators who want to make a real impact. We connect your language skills to meaningful work with community organizations, helping people access services, feel heard, and be treated with respect.
Certificate Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) - cchicertification.org
CCHI is the only national certifying entity offering two accredited certification programs: CHI (available in Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish) and CoreCHI-Performance (for interpreters of all other languages). CCHI counts over 5,500 certificants nation-wide.
National Interpreting Service (NIS) -nationalinterpretingservice.org
NIS is the leading provider of ASL interpreting services for healthcare organizations across the Pacific Northwest. We help hospitals and clinics deliver equitable, compliant, and patient-centered communication for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing communities.