We had 2 trips to Camotan in April. Our first team went from Denver, CO in the early part of the month. This team was composed of several physicians, NPs and PAs from Denver. On their first day in Camotan, Easter Sunday, the teams split up and went to different villages taking medicines and food to residents. As we have talked about in prior blogs, Camotan sits at the base of many high mountains. While the village of Camotan is poor (and we care for many patients in Camotan), it is the surrounding mountains where many people live in abject poverty. Rough dirt roads connect the mountains to the town. And many residents in the mountains cannot get to town (most cannot afford the expense of a ride to town). Thus we have mobile clinics with each trip: we go to the small gathering areas high in the mountains (usually a school house) and perform dental and medical clinics. If you have read prior blogs you have heard a lot about these.
For this trip, Easter Sunday was special. Because the holiday is such a sacred time (Guatemalans take the whole week off from work), we decided to go to the homes of some of our mountain patients and provide care. Our team went to different areas giving care, refilling medicines, handing out food and just visiting with residents. These are kind, humble people and it is a pleasure and honor to care for them.
Alex Latulipe, PA (center) examines a patient with Camotan Clinic volunteer James Keefe. Notice the fireplace and the chicken in the hut–residents here live with their animals: chickens, pigs, ducks and more. They breath smoke all day from their fireplaces (many do not have chimneys).
Salome Betancourt (L) from Camotan Clinic, works with a patient in her rural mountain home. Jessica Meyers NP (standing) and Dr. Michael Solomon (seated) provide care as well. Notice the mud (adobe) hut.
After Easter Sunday, the teams split again. Dr. Solomon and several other providers went to rural mountain villages and cared for nearly 100 patients each day. It was as we typically do: giving care daily in a remote setting. Sometimes we have acutely ill patients who are rapidly transported to the hospital. But many are well and just come for an exam and to get some free medicines (they do not have funds to buy things like Tylenol or Ibuprofen). We always gladly prescribe these. And there is often a few people who are sick or who have chronic illnesses that need to be further addressed in the clinic. These people are recorded and we follow up with them. See below image from a rural mountain clinic building where we held clinic on day 2.
Jennifer Solas, MD (our current Camotan Clinic medical resident) cares for a family in a mountain village.
As our work week proceeded, our team remained split. On the last day of our work week, several providers went to Chiquimula (the nearest big city where the closest hospital is located). The other providers went to another mountain village. The purpose of the team going to Chiquimula was to teach at the medical school. If you have been following our blogs, you will know that Camotan Clinic has been building a relationship with the local public hospital and the local medical school. Last year we partnered with another organization to place a water filtration system in the hospital (see the October 2025 blog– https://camotanclinic.com/2025/11/04/5054/). We have also donated the hospital an ultrasound machine. But the teaching in the medical school was a new step of collaboration and growth for the clinic. It was well received.
Jessica Meyers, NP (R) lectures to an audience of roughly 100 medical students in Chiquimula. Susan Lockridge (L) a frequent Camotan Clinic worker and collaborator translates.
Looking back into the lecture hall
It was a great success. The lectures were well received and we will continue to partner with the medical school. Students expressed interest in working in Camotan Clinic in the future. And our teaching helped them learn advanced practices and techniques. In the evening our two teams came together and had dinner with the staff of the local hospital. We know the staff well and have been growing our relationship with them. Dining together, talking about medicine and going over medical cases was one more way for Camotan Clinic and the local hospital to develop our partnership (see below). It was a good evening.
Camotan Clinic staff and Chiquimula hospital staff enjoy dinner together
Our second April team came later in the month and worked in other villages that this first team did not (please see the next blog for that trip!). Camotan Clinic continues to care for its patients. And we continue to grow our reach and deepen our connections in the medical community of Camotan and Chiquimula. And we truly could not do this without you. Most of you reading this give time, supplies, money and prayers to this cause. Thank you. We exist and continue to grow because of your generosity.
Thank you for reading!