In the late 1960s, Padre Cayetano Bertoldo, an Italian priest, and Jeanine Archimbaud, a Canadian working in rural Guatemala, were both serving in the Nuevo Progreso area when they recognized a critical need for education and medical care.

Together, they joined efforts to create a small clinic, along with a pharmacy and a sewing school for women and girls, laying the foundation for what would become something much larger.

This work took place during Guatemala’s 36-year civil war, a period marked by violence, political unrest, and instability in which over 200,000 people, often entire villages, were disappeared. Indigenous Maya, who were mostly subsistence farmers and agricultural workers, were disproportionately targeted. The need for safe, accessible care was urgent.

In the early 1970s, Jack Younger, a San Francisco contractor, visited Nuevo Progreso and shared the vision of Jeanine Archimbaud and Padre Bertoldo. He returned to the United States, raised $100,000 through the Family Club of San Francisco, and came back to Guatemala in 1974 to begin construction of the hospital.

Local Guatemalans helped construct the facility, and on February 8, 1976, Hospital de la Familia officially opened, just four days after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake devastated much of Guatemala’s infrastructure. The hospital was unharmed, and the dedication ceremony was attended by members of the local community and 30 members of the Family Club of San Francisco.

In the early years, Jack Younger continued to raise funds to support the hospital, while Padre Bertoldo and Jeanine Archimbaud led daily operations with the help of nuns who managed the staff and clinic. In 1978, the Hospital de la Familia Foundation (HdlF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was established to support the hospital’s ongoing work.

Initially, surgical care was provided only during visits from U.S. medical teams, which typically traveled to Guatemala 4–6 times each year. Over time, local doctors and staff were hired to manage clinical care and prepare patients for surgery.

As needs changed, the number of visiting teams increased, and ophthalmology emerged as a driving force behind the hospital’s work. In 2016, the eye center hired its first permanent ophthalmologist, marking a major step toward building local expertise and expanding access to care.

Members of The Family Club of San Francisco continue to support the hospital through funding, volunteer service, and leadership. Over the years, thousands of medical volunteers have contributed their time, skills, and compassion to support the hospital.

Padre Bertoldo and Mr. Younger remained deeply involved in the organization until their deaths in 2004 and 2014, respectively. Ms. Archimbaud left Guatemala during the civil war, but continued her work with Mayan communities in Chiapas, Mexico. She passed away in 2020.

All three founders are honored on a mural at the hospital. They were beloved in the community for their humanitarian work and recognized by various governments for their contributions.

Hospital de la Familia serves over 20,000 patients each year, with millions treated over the past 50 years. Guatemalan doctors now lead care across the hospital, performing general surgeries, providing anesthesia, and running the ophthalmology program.

Visiting teams continue to provide specialized care and surgeries, while also offering training and resources that support and strengthen local providers.

The hospital employs nearly 200 staff and is the largest private and charitable medical care provider in western Guatemala.

Looking ahead, a major rebuild project is planned for 2027 to expand the ophthalmology center and operating rooms, along with the construction of a new hospital for general surgical care.