Expanding Access to Sexual Health Care: MIRA’s Community Partnerships on the Bus

Access to sexual health care should be confidential, compassionate, and easy to reach. Yet for many neighbors in Eagle County, barriers like cost, stigma, lack of insurance, transportation, and limited local services make care difficult to access—especially for LGBTQ+ individuals, people navigating substance use, and those without stable healthcare coverage.

MIRA is changing that by bringing trusted community partners directly onto the MIRA bus, expanding access to sexual health services in a setting that is familiar, welcoming, and judgment-free. Through partnerships with Colorado Health Network, Mountain Pride, and PEER, MIRA offers prevention, testing, education, and long-term support—meeting people where they are and responding to real community needs.

Colorado Health Network

Colorado Health Network (CHN) provides comprehensive HIV prevention, care, and harm reduction services across the state. On the MIRA bus, CHN offers:

• STI testing and education
• PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPEP navigation and access, helping prevent HIV and other STIs
• Case management services for people living with HIV, with ongoing support available statewide, including Greeley, Fort Collins, Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction
• Syringe access services, providing sterile equipment to reduce the transmission of HIV and other bloodborne illnesses

MIRA clinics may also be joined by Manuel, CHN’s Lead PrEP Navigator for the state, who connects individuals to prevention options and personalized care pathways.

Mountain Pride

Mountain Pride is Eagle County’s LGBTQ+ community center and advocacy organization, working to create a valley where LGBTQ+ individuals feel safe, affirmed, and supported. Through this partnership, Mountain Pride:

• Provides culturally responsive sexual health education and navigation
• Supports LGBTQ+ individuals in accessing inclusive, affirming healthcare
• Helps reduce stigma and build trust, especially for neighbors who may have experienced discrimination in traditional healthcare settings

Mountain Pride’s presence ensures that sexual health services on the MIRA bus are not only accessible, but affirming and trauma-informed.

PEER

Promoting Empowerment Eagle River (PEER) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the community for a healthier future through maturation and sexual health education, free HIV testing, and access to critical health resources. PEER works to ensure individuals in the Eagle River area have the knowledge, support, and tools needed to make informed decisions and build healthy, successful lives. Guided by a commitment to reducing teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections, PEER envisions a community that values sexual health, education, and overall well-being.

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By bringing these partners together on the MIRA bus, sexual health care becomes integrated, accessible, and community-led. Neighbors can receive STI testing, prevention tools, education, and navigation alongside other MIRA services like insurance enrollment, health screenings, and resource referrals—all in one trusted space.

This collaborative model reflects MIRA’s core belief: healthcare works best when it is proactive, inclusive, and rooted in relationships. Through partnerships with Colorado Health Network, Mountain Pride, and PEER, MIRA is expanding access to life-saving care and building a healthier Eagle County—one visit, one conversation, and one connection at a time.