Lu + Vanessa were awarded Banner Health ‘Partners in Excellence’!
In July 2026, Banner University Family Care recognized two Cochise Harm Reduction (CHR) team members with its Partners in Excellence Award: Lu Funk, CHR Founder and Executive Director, and Vanessa Lopez, CHR Peer Navigator. The award honors community partners whose work measurably improves care and access for the people they serve.
Banner staff shared that both CHR honorees stood out because they were nominated multiple times by partner providers from across Cochise County — independent recognition of CHR’s role in the county’s care network for people who use drugs and people experiencing homelessness.
Lu Funk
Founder + Executive Director
Lu was recognized for their work in the community — breaking down barriers to care and going above and beyond for CHR’s participants.
Under Lu’s leadership, CHR has grown from a volunteer effort into a rural harm reduction organization delivering mobile outreach, peer navigation, meal services, and syringe services across frontier Cochise County, with plans to expand service reach county-wide.
Vanessa Lopez
Peer Navigator
Vanessa was recognized as a powerhouse in meeting participants’ needs. Her work centers on the many barriers that people who use drugs and unhoused individuals face — Medicaid (AHCCCS) enrollment, obtaining vital documents, justice-based advocacy, and connection to medication-assisted treatment.
This is the day-to-day work of CHR’s peer navigation program, and the recognition reflects both Vanessa’s individual impact and the strength of a peer-led navigation model in a rural setting.