SUMMARY
Language barriers are a documented cause of healthcare inequity. While ad hoc interpreters are one solution, reliance on these services has proven to be an insufficient long-term strategy. An emerging curricular field, Spanish for Health Professionals, is an integral part of the multifaceted solution to solving the United States’ health equity dilemma. Through collaboration between nursing and Spanish language professors, the Spanish for Health Professions Certificate Program incorporates best pedagogical practices such as asynchronous and integrated-proficiency instruction that are equally effective in conventional and virtual classrooms. Partnerships established with university faculty and organizations within Cuba and Guatemala resulted in rich learning abroad experiences. Specifically, significant for this Program was the Cuban learning abroad, and engaged civic learning experiences that helped develop students’ cultural awareness on their path toward becoming global citizens.