About IHA
International Health Alliance is a group of professionals who have worked in many areas of Central America through a variety of Medical Mission groups since 1992. At this time we have committed our focus to the Southeastern villages of the Peten region of Guatemala.
Permanent Staff
Linda Novak, MD — Program Director
Dr. Linda is a U.S. Board Certified ophthalmologist who has been working with Lions Clubs throughout Guatemala setting up eye clinics and eye screenings in rural areas of the country for the past 12 years. Dr. Linda’s area of expertise is in setting up outreach eye care services and small referral clinics in geographically isolated areas.
Luis Olivares, MD — Medical Director Peten
Dr Luis Olivares MD is a Guatemalan Pediatrician who has a daily pediatric clinic at the Dispensario Dominicas. In addition, Dr.Luis teaches the local midwives and health promoters courses on HIV and prevention of complications with home deliveries.
Brother Martin Shea, MM
Marty Shea has been a Maryknoller for more than 50 years.” It seems my life began when assigned to Guatemala in 1966.
A Masters in Theology from the Maryknoll Theological School has helped my appropriate my mission experience, which I use to help students appropriate their experience in the medical program.”
Aurelia Chub-Toc, Enfermera Auxiliar
Aurelia Chub-Toc is an indigenous Q’eqchi health promoter and auxiliary nurse who is an administrative assistant for the program.
Aurelia accompanies the students to the villages where she is responsible for translation from Q’eqchi to Spanish.
Mitch Tolbert, LMH
Mitch Tolbert is a Lay Missioner Helper who has worked in the Peten for the Past 7 years. He arranges health services for those patients living in the remote villages. He also provides transportation and arranges for all volunteer accommodations in the the remote villages. He is a renaissance person who worked for Texas Instruments in semiconductors prior to committing to work in the Peten.
Encarnacion Garcia, Director of Vicariato Apostolico Pastoral
“Chon” Garcia is the Director of the Social Programs for the Peten. The Vicariate, a non-governmental agency provides assistance to the indigent in the areas of health, human rights, mental health, immigration, and land reform. As director of these programs, Chon meets with the students to provide a historical perspective of the Peten and the issues which are currently being addressed in the villages. He also provides direction as to the villages which are most in need of health services.
Jose Antonio Mendez, Spanish Language Instructor
José “Tony” Mendez is a multilingual Spanish Teacher who provides both beginning and advanced students with personalized instruction.
He engages the students through his colorful local anecdotes and vast knowledge of the surrounding areas of El Petén and Guatemala in general. He’s fluent in English, Spanish and French.
Alma Jo Leon, Laboratory Director
Alma Jo Leon is a licensed medical technician who instructs the students at Tikal Labs. Alma’s vast experience in the infectious diseases of the Peten provides the students with a clearer understanding of the parasites which they are treating on a daily basis.
Visiting Faculty Mentors
Phil Hawley, MD AAP
Dr Philip Hawley is a U.S. Board Certified Pediatrician in Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. He has been volunteering in the Peten Region for the past 10 years. In addition to his clinical work he has written a best selling novel called STIGMA which is a medical mystery based in the Peten.
Maria Garcia, MD, MPH
Dra. Maria Garcia is an internist from Argentina with an M.P.H. from U.C.L.A. Dra. Maria has been affiliated with the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine International Immersion Program since 2001. Dra. Maria’s area of expertise is in the area of malnutrition and Maternal Child Health. For 9 years Dr. Maria was the medical director of the Malnutrition Hospital in Dolores.
Stephen Kelly, MD AAFP
Dr. Stephen Kelly is a U.S. Board Certified Family Practitioner, as well as, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at New York Medical college. After thirty years of private practice he now devotes himself to short term medical missionary service in Central and South America, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and New Guinea.
Mark Kummer, MD AAP
Dr. Mark Kummer is a U.S. Board Certified Pediatric Endocrinologist. Dr. Kummer workied in the clinics and small villages of the Peten on a full time basis from 2001-2005. In addition Dr. Kummer has taught programs to instruct indigenous health care workers. Dr. Kummer’s area of expertise is in Maternal Child Health, Community Health Care and Diabetes.
Jack Page, MD
Dr. Jack Page is a Board Certified Emergency Room Physician who has been both a full time and part time clinical instructor in the program since 2007. Prior to his work teaching medical students in the Peten, Jack and his wife Bernie (also an ER physician) were primarily responsible for initiating inpatient and ER services at the Hospitalito in Santiago Atitlan.
Affiliates
- Loyola Stritch School of Medicine International Immersion Program
- Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
- Loyola University Department of Ophthalmology
- Mission Doctor’s Association
- Catholic Medical Mission Board
- Instituto Pan-Americano Contra La Ceguera
- Vicente Pescatore Eye Clinic
- Vicariato Apostolico De Peten
- Dispensario Dominicas
- Centro Nutricional por Recuperacion de Ninos – Santa Luisa
- Leones Contra la Ceguera
Practicing physicians and other health professionals are welcome as volunteers. Please contact us with your interest.
