I swear by Pimsleur, at least for Italian. I put it all on my old iPod and would listen to it while driving. I tried using Rosetta Stone a few times but all it does is teach you how to associate pictures with words. You'll learn how to say 'the boy is sitting on the chair' in a few hours, but never 'the boy is trying to balance himself on the chair' or anything with some complexity. Therefore I'd avoid Rosetta Stone.
In some area of CA, especially near LA or SD, you can find areas or business where Spanish is the main language spoken. Maybe try getting a job there, or just hang out in those areas to pick up the language.
I don't think it is a big deal to not know it. In my experience, all major departments in hospitals have a full time translator on hand. You can't make money if the patient can't give consent.