Care Without Barriers – Seattle Children’s Pilots Spanish-Language O.R.

In May of 2025, Seattle Children’s held its first ever all-Spanish-speaking operating room (O.R.) day where patients and families received care at every step in their native language from surgeons, nurses and other staff members who are fluent in Spanish.

“I’m thrilled that together we can serve families in a way that’s both special and impactful, aligning our efforts to provide the best language-concordant care,” shared Dr. Juliana Bonilla-Velez, a pediatric otolaryngologist at Seattle Children’s who led the effort.

Language-concordant care is when patients and providers communicate in the same language. This care practice leads to better health outcomes, informed decision-making, improved patient trust and greater access to critical health information.

“It’s about creating a space where every patient feels seen, heard and valued,” added Dr. Bonilla-Velez, who also founded Seattle Children’s Spanish Otolaryngology Clinic in 2021 where medical care for pediatric ear, nose, throat, head and neck conditions are provided from start to finish in Spanish — the first of its kind at Seattle Children’s and in the United States.

A total of 132 languages are spoken by Seattle Children’s patients and families, with Spanish being in the top 5. Hear more about the Spanish O.R. initiative from Dr. Bonilla-Velez and team in this four-part video series.

Resources

• Seattle Children's Otolaryngology Clinic
• Clinica de Otorrinolaringología en Español
• Advancing Healthcare Experience and Outcomes
• Follow Seattle Children’s on Instagram