AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – As more Spanish-speaking people move into our area, the need for bi-lingual healthcare providers becomes more important.

Being bilingual is important, especially when you’re working in the medical field and in an area where the need for Spanish-speaking healthcare workers is big.”

“When they don’t speak English well, they usually come in very timid and kind of scared or anxious ‘cause they don’t really know what to expect, and you just kinda see their reaction on their face change when you start speaking their language,” Dental On-Site Manager Abigail Ruiz said.

Dr. Charles Scarborough is the pediatrician at Christ Community Health pediatrics clinic and says many of his patients speak Spanish.

“We take care of– in the pediatric department– about 30 to 40 percent of our patients are Spanish-speaking patients, and that need is just gonna continue to grow,” Pediatrician at Christ Community Health Dr. Charles “Carlos” Scarborough said.

Dr. Scarborough tells me there was a point in his practice that he realized he needed another way to connect with all of his patients. 

“Especially for communities that are under-resourced and communities that come out of trauma, escaping horrific things to come here– there’s so much fear that it’s really difficult to engage that without speaking the language,” Dr. Scarborough said.  

So, after a family mission trip to Peru eight years ago, Dr. Scarborough has learned a new language and gained a new name: Dr. Carlos to his patients. 

“It just gave me a heart for disenfranchised people, and people that don’t have access and are in states of cyclical poverty and there’s no chance,” Dr. Scarborough said.

In the Augusta area, the need for Spanish-speaking health care professionals is growing.

“A lot of Spanish patients will tell their families and say, like, ‘hey this clinic is here, they’re gonna help you, they speak spanish,’ so, of course they’ll send them here and try to get the same help that they received. So, it is very important and we do need more bilingual employees,” Ruiz said.

If you’re someone who’s bilingual and looking for a job in the medical field, visit.