How Lupus Colorado and CANN Built an Advocacy Powerhouse
Some partnerships start with a formal strategy session. Ours began with a simple realization. People living with lupus and people living with HIV or viral hepatitis face many of the same obstacles when they try to get the care they need. Once we recognized that shared landscape, the connection between Lupus Colorado and the Community Access National Network (CANN) started to feel not only natural, but necessary.
CANN’s mission is to define, promote, and improve access to healthcare services and supports for people living with HIV and people living with viral hepatitis. The focus is on keeping care affordable and within reach for people no matter where they live, what they earn, or how they are insured. As soon as we spent time together, it was clear how much that mission speaks to the lived reality of people living with lupus. Many in our community depend on the same safety net programs, the same specialty pharmacies, and the same policies that protect medication access for people with chronic conditions nationwide.
Once we began sharing stories, the overlap came into full view. We heard about people living with lupus who rely on the 340B Drug Pricing Program to keep their treatment affordable. We heard about people managing both lupus and other long term conditions who face the same hurdles that people living with HIV or hepatitis encounter when insurance rules change or formularies shift. We also heard how uncertainty about programs like the 340B Program or state efforts to set Upper Payment Limits through bodies like the Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Board creates stress and confusion for everyone who counts on steady access to treatment. The policy language may sound technical, but the effects show up in daily life. That shared experience became the spark that brought our organizations together.
Lupus Colorado eventually became a kind of testing ground for patient engagement around these issues. When debates surrounding 340B and the state board intensified, we invited our community to learn more and speak up. People living with lupus stepped forward with thoughtful questions about what these changes might mean for their medications and their stability. They shared stories about years spent finding the right treatments. They talked about the worry that comes with not knowing whether a familiar pharmacy or discount program will still be available. Their honesty helped shape a clearer picture of what access really means for people with chronic conditions.
CANN supported this work by offering context, training, and a strong national network. Their experience showed us how these local conversations fit into broader public health goals, including ongoing efforts to build sustainable systems for people living with HIV and long term strategies for hepatitis C elimination. They also helped amplify our stories by connecting them to advocates, policymakers, and public health leaders who are working to protect and expand medication access nationwide.
As we continued working together, the partnership grew into something that felt like friendship and, at times, even family. It surprised all of us how quickly Louisiana and Colorado began to feel connected through shared purpose and shared energy. This work is deeply personal, and when good people come together with the belief that collaboration, not competition, brings out our strongest work, something close to magic begins to take shape. My curiosity and strategic thinking blended naturally with Jen’s mentorship and policy insight. Kalvin and Ranier added necessary context for any variety of issues we shared and even accompanied me to some meetings to ensure Lupus Colorado's interests were well-defined for our audience. Together we created a combination that strengthened every effort that followed.
This collaboration also changed how advocacy feels for many people. Instead of seeing policy as something decided far away, our community began to see it as something they can influence. When people speak about their lives, policymakers listen differently. The technical language becomes human. The stakes become easier to understand. And the entire conversation shifts toward solutions that protect access rather than limit it.
The partnership between Lupus Colorado and CANN has shown us that when organizations connect around shared purpose, everyone benefits. We bring different histories and different areas of expertise, but we are united by our commitment to ensure that people living with chronic conditions can access the care they need without fear or financial hardship. Our collaboration continues to strengthen advocacy networks, uplift patient voices, and support progress toward public health goals that matter to all of us.
Most of all, this partnership reminds us that no one faces this journey alone. When communities work together, even unlikely collaborations can grow into something powerful enough to spark change.
