A Brief History

In 2004, four University of Colorado Boulder students — James Byers, Britt Severson, Brian Morgan, and Anthony Rossi — chose a different kind of spring break. Traveling to rural Nicaragua, they set out to address urgent medical needs with a simple grassroots approach: identify patients in underserved communities, transport them to physicians in León, and personally cover every cost of care.

What started as a small grassroots effort quickly expanded, and by 2005 the team had grown to 12 volunteers operating acute care clinics that served more than 100 patients daily. In 2008, Health Outreach for Latin America (HOLA) was formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Boulder, Colorado.

Over the following years, HOLA broadened its mission beyond short-term medical brigades, developing sustainable healthcare initiatives throughout Latin America. In addition to community clinics, the organization introduced veterinary outreach, public health programming, and educational initiatives in rural communities.

Following the 2018 civil unrest in Nicaragua, HOLA adapted its model to focus on year-round access to specialized healthcare services in underserved areas. Beginning in 2017, the organization hired OB-GYN physicians to provide consistent care in the communities of Chacraseca and La Leona, significantly expanding access to women’s healthcare services. Today, HOLA’s clinics provide more than 1,000 patient consultations annually.

Looking ahead, HOLA is preparing to expand into Peru, where it is exploring plans to place both a general physician and an OB-GYN in Huacahuasi, a remote indigenous community high in the Andes Mountains with limited access to healthcare. Through this expansion, HOLA hopes to continue delivering sustainable, community-centered healthcare to underserved populations across Latin America.