Howard Payne University’s fall 2023 Spanish for Healthcare Professionals class hosted a special ceremony honoring the students’ completion of coursework. The curriculum was designed to teach Spanish specifically for application in the medical field. The course, typically offered every other fall semester, was taught by Dr. Danny Brunette-López, professor of Spanish and chair of the Department of Spanish and Hispanic Studies at HPU.

Dr. Brunette-López and Dr. Laci Sutton, dean of the School of Nursing and assistant professor of nursing, presented certificates to the students. Also participating in the ceremony were Dr. Millard Kimery, dean of the School of Humanities and professor of English, and Dr. Kristen Hutchins, dean of the School of Science and Mathematics and professor of biology.

Recognized for their achievement were Yesenia Brunette, a sophomore from Early majoring in general studies and minoring in Spanish; Krysta Bunch, a senior from Haskell majoring in theatre and minoring in Spanish as well as English writing; Isabel Clevenger, a senior from Brownwood majoring in biomedical science; Axel Kehrein, a senior from Walla Walla, Washington, majoring in kinesiology; Amada Menchaca, a senior from Blanket majoring in education and kinesiology and minoring in Spanish; Victoria Ramos, a junior from Brownwood majoring in biomedical science; Skyler Wells, a senior from Brownwood majoring in psychology and the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and minoring in Spanish; and Abigail Zamora, a sophomore from Forney majoring in nursing.

The course gives students real-world language instruction for effective communication with limited English-speaking or non-English speaking Hispanic patients in healthcare settings. It offers an introduction to language accommodation services, health literacy and cross-cultural understanding. This specialized training is designed for nursing, allied health, psychology, social work and biomedical students.

For Dr. Brunette-López, the class was all about equipping the students to interact with limited English-speaking or non-English speaking Hispanic clients.

“My intent in this class was to introduce students to a specialized way of communicating in Spanish in a broad range of medical-related fields,” he said. “I wanted to prepare them for these encounters, to be sensitive to peoples’ cultures and respect the fact that these patients may struggle because they cannot communicate in English.”

Victoria Ramos, a sophomore from Brownwood majoring in biomedical science, shared how she has already been able to apply her knowledge from the class at her job in a local pharmacy.

“This class and working at the pharmacy have taught me that knowing how to ask what’s going on and get basic information like insurance or date of birth can be huge headway in helping someone,” said Ramos. “I think learning a new language is the first step in being able to create personal relationships and show patients you care, because you’re making an effort to understand them.”

The students engaged with the material and recognized the course’s importance, and Dr. Brunette-López was thrilled by their enthusiasm.

“The students did an excellent job in their pursuit of learning more Spanish in a specialized setting,” he said. “They are bright, dedicated, devoted, energetic and caring. They are our future caretakers and are dedicated to the advancement of human welfare.”

For more information about HPU, visit www.hputx.edu.