Our History

In 2004, Linda Novak, MD, Mark Kummer, MD and Lynn Martin, MPH founded U.S. International Health Alliance after twelve previous years of medical mission work in various departments of Guatemala. In 2001, Dr. Kummer and his family began living and working full time in the rural communities of the Petén.  It was then, after training and working with local indigenous health care providers that the team decided to form a US 501c3 dedicated to enriching the living conditions and health care for Guatemalans living in the rural communities. As a result of local efforts in working with numerous national physicians, local hospitals and institutions of medical training, multiple partnerships evolved over ten to twenty years.  In 2014, the Asociación Alianza Internaciónal de la Salud, the partner of US IHA was formed in Guatemala. The association members consist of long standing members from the department of the Petén  – a university instructor at Universidad de San Carlos – Petén, an internist, a pediatrician, an optometrist, a national ophthalmologist, an international ophthalmologist and a local priest from the largest church in the Petén.  It is through the continued guidance from our international partners that the medical team has been able to continue their efforts to provide weekly mobile clinics to rural communities of the Petén where access is limited.