Hospital María

What Hospital María does

Hospital María Especialidades Pediátricas (HMEP) is a public non-profit pediatric specialty hospital located in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Reopened in 2014 after a closure of more than a decade, the hospital is government-owned and operated under a structurally unique management agreement with Fundación Amigos del Hospital María (FAHM), a private non-profit foundation that runs day-to-day operations. HMEP provides free specialized pediatric care to children referred through Honduras's public health network (SESAL), serving patients from across all 18 departments of the country and acting as the national referral hub for complex pediatric cases.\n\nThe hospital delivers care across 11+ pediatric subspecialties and is the only public provider of pediatric cardiac surgery in Honduras through its Little Hearts program. Its operational technology stack centers on a SharePoint-based intranet for clinical and administrative workflows and telemedicine capabilities for remote consultations. International partnerships are central to its capability profile: Duke University supports research and subspecialty training, World Pediatrics runs ongoing surgical missions, Hospital Infantil Federico Gómez contributes clinical training, and Surgeons of Hope and Fundación Coclear support specific procedure streams. Hospital María also hosts a UNAH-accredited Pediatric Cardiology postgraduate program that builds domestic subspecialty capacity. Since opening, HMEP has treated more than 69,000 new patients, delivered over 451,000 outpatient consultations, and performed more than 18,500 surgeries.\n\nHMEP's revenue model is hybrid and non-commercial: a significant portion derives from government allocations through SESAL, supplemented by corporate donations (BAC Credomatic, Ficohsa, Gatorade, Xpress Pago), individual philanthropy, and proceeds from recurring community fundraising events such as the annual Gatorade Marathon. The hospital does not bill patients for clinical services; patient access is entirely mediated through the public health referral system. Operations are led by General Manager Jacqueline Flefil, supported by a workforce of 330+ staff.

Name

Hospital María

Legal name

Hospital María, Especialidades Pedíatricas

Website

https://hospitalmaria.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hospital María Especialidades Pediátricas (HMEP) is a public non-profit pediatric specialty hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Government-owned and managed by Fundación Amigos del Hospital María, it provides free specialized pediatric care via referrals from Honduras's public health system across 11+ subspecialties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Specialty Hospital Services

NAICS

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (622310), Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (62231), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (62211)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Hospitals & Pediatric Health Systems (HLAFAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pediatric Specialty Care Centers (e.g., cardiology, oncology, neurology) (HLAFAJAH), Children’s Hospitals (Acute Care) (HLAFAAAI)

Keywords

• Pediatric specialty hospital
• Pediatric cardiology services
• Pediatric surgical care
• Public healthcare services
• Medical specialty clinics

Headquarters

HQ city

Tegucigalpa

HQ country

Honduras

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Ministry of Health (SESAL) allocates government budget to support hospital operations and administration. Budget has grown from 166 million Lempiras annually (starting 2015) to US$13.2 million Lempiras for 2021, including coverage for COVID-19 wards.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Hospital receives donations through multiple channels: bank transfers to Fundación Amigos del Hospital María (BAC Credomatic account), automatic debit programs, online donations via Xpress Pago, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events such as the annual Gatorade Marathon.
3. Little Hearts Program: Dedicated fundraising program for the pediatric cardiology unit, raising funds for cardiac surgeries and catheterizations. Donations can be made to specific accounts at Banco Ficohsa and BAC.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hospital María is a public pediatric specialty hospital providing free specialized medical care to children under 18 years of age across 12 pediatric subspecialties, including Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, Dermatology, Allergy and Immunology, Endocrinology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Nephrology, Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, and Urological Surgery. The hospital is the sole national provider of pediatric cardiac surgery in Honduras through its flagship Little Hearts program, supported by radiology/imaging, dialysis, cochlear implants, telemedicine, and an in-hospital educational center for long-stay patients.

Product overview

Hospital María is a public pediatric specialty hospital providing healthcare services to children under 18 years of age in Honduras. The institution operates a core portfolio of 12 pediatric subspecialties including Cardiology, Neurology, Nephrology, and others, supported by Radiology and Imaging Services. The hospital's flagship program is the Little Hearts Pediatric Cardiology Program, which performs cardiothoracic surgeries and catheterizations as the only pediatric cardiac surgery center in Honduras. Additional offerings include a Cochlear Implant Program through international brigades, Telemedicine Services for remote consultations, and an official educational center (Centro Educativo Gubernamental Hospital María) for hospitalized children. All services are provided free of charge to patients through public funding and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Hearts: Pediatric cardiology program under Fundación María, designed to strengthen the Cardiology Program and raise funds for cardiac surgeries and catheterizations for children with heart disease.

Products and services

• Pediatric Medical Specialties Services Comprehensive specialized pediatric medical care across 12 subspecialties — Cardiology, Dermatology, Immunology and Allergy, Endocrinology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Nephrology, Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Urological Surgery, and Interventional Cardiology (Hemodynamics) — for children under 18 referred from the Honduran public health network.
• Little Hearts Pediatric Cardiology Program A specialized cardiac care program providing cardiothoracic vascular surgeries, interventional cardiology procedures, and cardiac catheterizations for children with congenital heart disease. Performs roughly 160 cardiac surgeries and 50 catheterizations annually and operates the only pediatric cardiac surgery unit in Honduras.
• Radiology and Imaging Services Comprehensive diagnostic imaging services including radiodiagnosis, open to both hospital patients and external patients with physician orders, at reduced costs compared to private clinics.
• Cochlear Implant Program Surgical program providing cochlear implants for children with severe or profound hearing loss, performed through international medical brigades in collaboration with specialists from Spain and partner Fundación Coclear.
• Telemedicine Services Virtual consultation services enabling continued medical attention for patients with scheduled appointments, originally introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued for follow-up care. Appointments are coordinated through customer service staff with specific telemedicine guidelines.
• Medical Directory Online directory of the hospital's medical professionals allowing patients to identify and schedule appointments with specific specialists across the hospital's 12 subspecialties.
• Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program Pediatric kidney transplant services performed jointly with Hospital Escuela Universitario (HEU), including the first pediatric kidney transplants in Honduras (8 transplants performed together).
• Pediatric Dialysis Program Pediatric renal replacement therapy including permanent Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis treatments for children with end-stage kidney disease.

Quantifiable outcome

• 69,392+ new patients treated since opening in 2014
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Hospital Infantil Federico GómezmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International partner providing medical brigades for pediatric specialty care. Contributes to the hospital's capacity to perform complex procedures.
• World PediatricsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026US-based organization conducting 3-4 medical missions annually to Honduras since 2017. Each mission enables 5 surgeries and 15 catheterizations. Provides specialized training to HMEP medical professionals.
• Fundación CoclearminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner supporting cochlear implant procedures. Contributes to the hospital's ability to perform hearing restoration surgeries.
• Fundación Vida NuevaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Foundation supporting medical brigades and specialized procedures at the hospital.
• Surgeons of HopeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International surgical mission organization providing pediatric surgical care support.
• Fundación Miguel LittonmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Local foundation supporting pediatric and urological surgery brigades. Funded procedures for 27 patients in October 2023. Brings experienced doctors to perform high-complexity surgeries alongside HMEP surgical team.
• Fundación KafiemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Local foundation co-sponsoring pediatric and urological surgery brigades. Supports high-complexity surgeries for children on surgical waiting lists.
• Duke UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Prestigious US university bringing medical missions to Honduras since 2023. Dr. Joseph W. Turek, TIME 100 influential health figure, leads cardiac surgery brigades with 13+ specialized professionals. Benefits 10+ patients per mission.
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021National university initiating pediatric cardiology postgraduate program with HMEP support. HMEP provides clinical training site for cardiology specialists. Addresses critical shortage of pediatric cardiologists in Honduras (only 8-10 in country).
• Fundación Creciendo con DiabetesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation collaborating on diabetes education programs for patients and families. Conducts joint educational jornadas with hospital endocrinology team.
• Gatorade (cbc Honduras)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate sponsor organizing annual MaratHON Gatorade marathon. Has raised over L 2 million+ across multiple events. 8th edition in 2023 raised L 695,685.54 for cardiac care. Corporate social responsibility partner with significant brand visibility.
• Fundación MaríamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent foundation that built and donated the hospital to the government. Continues to support hospital programs including Little Hearts pediatric cardiology initiative. Manages dedicated fundraising accounts for cardiac care.
• Secretaría de Educación de HondurasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Education providing official educational center within hospital premises (Centro Educativo Gubernamental Hospital María) for hospitalized children and dialysis patients to continue studies during treatment.
• Hospital Escuela Universitario (HEU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeaching hospital partnership for kidney transplant procedures. Collaborated on first pediatric kidney transplants in Honduras (8 transplants performed together).
• Casa DavidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hostel providing accommodation for parents of patients traveling from outside Tegucigalpa. Hospital provides transportation to/from hostel.
• Fundación AbrigominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation providing shelter services for families of patients. Hotel accommodation support for parents from other regions.

Scale indicators24 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Hospital Nacional de Niños Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera: Costa Rica's national pediatric reference hospital, offering comparable specialty pediatric services within the Central American public health system and serving as a regional benchmark for pediatric specialty care delivery.
• Hospital de Niños Benjamín Bloom: El Salvador's national pediatric reference hospital, comparable to Hospital María as a public children's specialty facility serving a similar Central American population with limited pediatric specialty supply across Central America.
• Hospital Infantil Manuel de Jesús Rivera: Nicaragua's national pediatric hospital, comparable as a Central American public pediatric specialty provider addressing similar congenital and complex pediatric conditions in a resource-constrained setting.

Broad incumbents

• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center: A top US pediatric specialty hospital with comparable multi-subspecialty pediatric services and a similar commitment to pediatric specialty care excellence. Comparable as a benchmark for pediatric specialty center operations.
• Boston Children's Hospital: One of the largest and most established pediatric specialty hospitals globally. Comparable as a leading pediatric specialty institution, though at vastly greater scale, serving as an aspirational benchmark for the breadth of pediatric subspecialties Hospital María aspires to develop.
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: A leading global pediatric specialty and research hospital with a comparable mission of providing free specialized pediatric care. Comparable business model around donor-funded pediatric specialty services and international pediatric capacity-building initiatives.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP): A leading US pediatric specialty hospital with comparable subspecialty breadth including pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurology, and nephrology. Serves as a model for the depth of pediatric subspecialty care Hospital María is building toward.

Others

• Fundación Amigos del Hospital María (FAHM): The parent foundation and administrator of Hospital María, managing fundraising and donor relations. Comparable as the administrative/fundraising entity structure that supports hospital operations through diversified donation channels in a public-private partnership model.
• World Pediatrics: A US-based nonprofit that is an active partner of Hospital María, conducting 3-4 medical missions annually. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler supporting pediatric specialty care delivery in underserved regions like Honduras.

Direct peers

• Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez: A pediatric specialty hospital in Mexico City that is an active international partner of Hospital María for medical brigades. Provides comparable pediatric specialty services and operates under a similar public-hospital model for children's healthcare in Latin America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hospitalmariaep
• Instagraminstagram.com/hospitalmaria
• Xx.com/Hospital_Maria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hospital María