Continuing Ed Workshops
We offer multiple short-duration (3-6 hours) workshops designed to advance the expertise of medical and ASL interpreters, including:
- Bias in Health Care
- Vicarious Trauma
- Palliative Care
- Specialized Anatomy and Physiology
- Advanced Ethical Scenarios and Practices
- Genetic Counseling
These workshops offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that can be applied towards maintaining and renewing national certifications.
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Advanced Topics
Nutrition & Diets: A Guide for Medical Interpreters
Presented by Bernardo Alfredo Valencia, MD
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:15 pm (inclusive of 15 minutes break)
Location: Live Streaming Via Zoom Events (ZOOM Link will be shared after successful completion of payment)
Education Level: Intermediate to Advanced
REGISTER TO ATTEND
Credits/Contact Hours
CCHI: This program is accredited by CEAP for 3 Instructional CE hours, CEAP accreditation #10964.
IMIA: This program has been approved for 0.3 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs with the unique Education Registry ID 24-1236.
RID: The RID Activity Number: 0081.1024.07. The bearer of the certificate is "eligible for up to 0.3 Professional Studies CEUs or ACETs taught at the "some" previous knowledge content level."
Workshop Fee: $45
CEU Fee: $45 workshop fee is inclusive of CEU fees for CCHI and IMIA
RID CEUs are free to all members in good standing pending proof of attendance and completion of CEU request form and evaluation.
Workshop Description
Nutrition conversations span routine counseling to complex inpatient orders. This interpreter-focused workshop builds practical fluency with the terms, concepts, and rationales behind common diets and therapies. We start with Nutrients 101, definitions, the MyPlate model (and why the old pyramid is obsolete), macronutrients and micronutrients, and food examples. Next, we take a simple tour of digestion and absorption; what happens to carbs, proteins, and fats from the mouth to the intestine and ultimately to the blood and liver. We then explain metabolism and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE): where energy comes from, which organs use it, and why NEAT often matters more than gym time. Major diet patterns (Mediterranean, DASH, plant-forward, low-carb/keto, intermittent fasting) are defined with evidence, indications, and cautions. Finally, we connect to clinical practice: hospital diet orders (NPO → clear → full → soft/regular), and an introduction to enteral (tube) and parenteral (IV) nutrition, including refeeding syndrome labs. Three brief case studies anchor terminology, cultural sensitivity, and teach-back phrasing. Workshop is designed for educational purposes only, not for medical advice.
Learning Objectives
During and at the conclusion of this session, participants will:
- Describe core nutrition concepts (macros, micros, MyPlate vs. pyramid) and explain food examples.
- Explain digestion and absorption, stepwise pathways for carbs, proteins, and fat, and identify common clinical terms (e.g., bile, pancreatic enzymes, malabsorption).
- Describe TDEE (BMR/REE, TEF, NEAT, exercise), including typical percentage ranges and organ roles in everyday energy use.
- Identify and compare major diet patterns (definition, rationale, evidence, indications, and cautions) and apply interpreter-appropriate phrasing for hospital diet orders and EN/PN basics.
About the Trainer
Bernardo Alfredo Valencia, MD, is a medical doctor and medical interpreter currently serving as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Valencia earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Universidad Anáhuac in Mérida, Mexico, and completed a Medical Interpreter Training Program at UMass Chan Medical School. With over four years of dedicated experience in hepatology and liver transplantation, he skillfully combines his medical expertise with linguistic and cultural proficiency, facilitating healthcare communication for Spanish-speaking patients.
Successful Completion Requirements
Participants are expected to sign-in at the required time, must attend the entire program for 3 hours, and complete a CEU request form and an evaluation. Certificates will be distributed to participants by email within 6 to 8 weeks following the program. The moderator will monitor attendance throughout the event.
Refunds
No refund will be provided after 10 full calendar days prior to the date of the program.
Special Requests
For any special requests requiring accommodations, please contact Lynn Carson at 508-856-4306 or via email at least 15 days before the training.