Global Healthcare Assistance to Guatemala

In a country where nearly 60% of the population lives in poverty, the constitutional right to healthcare is a promise waiting to be fulfilled. We've witnessed this reality firsthand in Guatemala's public hospitals, where brilliant, dedicated surgeons possess incredible skill but are limited by a severe lack of resources. Our journey began in 2014, not as outsiders, but as partners. We've worked side-by-side with these local physicians, building relationships founded on mutual respect and a shared goal. Aid Via Action was born from this partnership. We don’t just provide temporary aid; we invest in the foundation of their healthcare system. By providing crucial resources and fostering educational opportunities, we empower local physicians to deliver the high-quality, compassionate surgical care their own communities deserve, creating a lasting and self-sufficient impact.

We operate on a core principle of ethical engagement. Our goal is to provide meaningful support, not to promote global health tourism. Every aspect of our process is designed to honor this commitment.

A person holding the flag of Guatemala against a partly cloudy sky.

What We Do

Founded in April 2021, Aid Via Action Inc. (AVA) is dedicated to addressing the medical needs of patients in El Petén, Guatemala. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donors can deduct all contributions under IRC Section 170. Guided by a dedicated board of directors, our sole mission is to eliminate the healthcare disparities imposed by geographic location.

  • In Guatemala, a nation where a majority of the population lives in poverty, there is a vast gap between the constitutional right to healthcare and the reality of an underfunded system. This challenge is acute in the large, rural department of El Petén, where the main referral hospital operates with dedicated, highly skilled surgeons who are limited by a critical lack of modern medical technology and resources.

    Our journey began there in 2014, building a decade of trust and collaboration with the local medical team. From this deep-rooted partnership, Aid Via Action (AVA) was founded. We are a non-profit dedicated to closing the healthcare gap through a three-pronged mission: providing immediate, essential surgical care; strengthening the local healthcare infrastructure for long-term self-sufficiency; and fostering medical education. We believe the most effective way to create lasting change is to empower local experts with the tools they need to save lives in their own communities.

  • As of June 2025:

    • Inguinal Hernia - 58

    • Umbilical Hernia - 11

    • Ventral Hernia - 3

    • Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy - 50

    • Open Cholecystectomy - 29

    • Lipoma - 9

    • Urology - 22

    • Other - 6

  • Residents

    • Johnathan Imaran, MD and Tarik Madni, MD | June 2016

    • Courtney Polley, MD | April 2023

    • Juan Favela, MD and Madison Argo, MD | Nov 2023

    Medical Students

    • Juan Herrejon | 2016

    • Corey Timmerman | 2017

    • Arifa Plummer | 2018

    • Maria Ruiz | 2019

    • Gabriela Alejo | 2020

    • Heather Lanier | 2021

    • Miranda Flores and Tanya Reyna | 2023

    • Bing Yi | 2023

    • Nellie Fischer | 2025

Medical team performing surgery in a hospital operating room, wearing surgical masks, gowns, and caps.
Medical team in operating room wearing scrubs, masks, and caps, working on a patient.
A group of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, in an operating room preparing for surgery, all wearing surgical masks, caps, and scrubs. One healthcare worker in the foreground is holding a syringe.
Three professionally dressed individuals, two men and one woman, standing and smiling at a conference room with presentation screen in the background.
Group of healthcare professionals standing outside the entrance of Hospital de San Benito, in front of a blue building with sign above that reads 'Dr. Antonio Peñados del Barrio'.
Medical team performing surgery in an operating room; surgeons wearing masks, gloves, and surgical caps; surgical instruments on a tray in the foreground.
Group of healthcare workers standing outside Hospital de San Benito, with some in scrubs and others in professional attire, smiling and posing for the photo.
Four men in medical scrubs standing indoors in front of a wall with framed certificates and pictures.
Two men in blue medical scrubs sitting in front of a curtain, smiling, with flags of Guatemala and the Ministry of Public Health of Guatemala behind them.
Group of medical staff standing outside Hospital de San Benito, in front of the Dr. Antonio Peñados del Barrio sign, posing for a photo.
Surgeons and medical staff in green and blue scrubs performing surgery in an operating room, with surgical instruments laid out on a tray.
Four healthcare professionals standing together in a hospital, smiling, in front of a yellow wall with a hospital logo.
Group of healthcare professionals and volunteers standing outside Hospital de San Benito, holding the Guatemalan flag, smiling and posing for the camera.
Medical team performing surgery in an operating room with bright overhead lights, medical equipment, and patients covered with green surgical drapes.
Group of healthcare professionals standing outside a hospital, smiling at the camera.
People participating in a running race at the starting line outdoors, with a green inflatable arch and trees in the background.
Group of medical professionals in scrubs and masks performing surgery in an operating room.
Two medical professionals in scrubs, masks, and gloves performing surgery in an operating room, focused on the patient.