Who We Are
The Organization for Community Health Outreach (OCHO) is a Maryland-based non-profit organization that was created to offer a sustainable partnership with Honduran citizens. Access to basic medical services is a top concern for Hondurans, especially in remote parts of the country. OCHO strives to collaborate with Honduran government officials and health professionals to improve access to quality medical care, develop sustainable health services, and build infrastructure.
Our History
In 1999, when Hurricane Mitch laid waste to vast swaths of Honduras, a small group of Baltimore clinicians, in partnership with The Church of the Redeemer (Baltimore, MD) and the Honduran Episcopal Diocese, flew down to see how they could help. Back then, few imagined this initial intervention would in 2010 grow into OCHO, a full-fledged medical and educational nonprofit with strong collaborative ties to the remote rural communities of Santa Bárbara.
Under the leadership of clinicians and professionals, OCHO designed a successful model of medical care based on partnerships with trusted local leaders. In the first decade of OCHO's existence, the reach of volunteers and leaders amplified that initial vision of promoting sustainable change in Honduras and implementing a sophisticated, multidisciplinary approach to public health.
After 3 years of hiatus from brigade trips due to COVID-19, OCHO sent a team of 21 to Honduras in June 2023 to explore new areas in the Santa Bárbara department where our efforts can be concentrated. Since then, OCHO continues to work with the communities of Concepción del Sur and San Vicente with the goals of supporting special needs therapy and specialist follow-ups via telemedicine and during annual brigade clinics.
