Meet our PrEP Navigators
Miranda Ramirez
Lead PrEP Navigator
“My name is Miranda Ramirez, and I am passionately dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community in the fight for health equity. I believe everyone deserves access to safe, comprehensive healthcare, and I strive to be a voice for those who may not have one.
“Throughout my journey, I have actively participated in various initiatives aimed at promoting health and wellness, but my work with the Alexis Project at Friends Community Center in Los Angeles has been particularly impactful. In this role, I focused on connecting Trans patients with essential healthcare services, ensuring they received the support they needed. Despite the persistent discrimination and stigma that exist in society, I firmly believe that love, compassion, and understanding are our most powerful tools for fostering a brighter future where everyone can access the healthcare they deserve.”
-
“With years in HIV retention and prevention, I am committed to helping our community stay safe and healthy. Currently, I serve as a LEAD PrEP Navigator for the Men's Health Foundation, and these past three years have been incredibly rewarding. I am excited to continue empowering more individuals in their journey toward health and wellness.
As a LEAD PrEP Navigator, my passion lies in equipping my patients with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health. I provide the latest prevention tools and promote safe sexual practices to help reduce the risk of HIV transmission. By ensuring that my patients have the information and support they need, I aim to create pathways to prevention, care, treatment, and trust within our community.”
Stefano Celsi
PrEP Navigator
“I was born and raised in Pescara, Italy; a beach town close to Rome. After I finished college I moved to NYC and began a career in Fashion. When I had the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and work in the healthcare system I took it right away. As a gay immigrant I was kept in good health, advocated for, and educated by an organization similar to Men’s Health Foundation.”
-
“After gaining experience as a ‘Patient and Health Coordinator’ with You + Health in Beverly Hills, I was interested in exploring opportunities in LGBTQ health. I am very proud and excited to join the Men’s Health Foundation to give back to the community that has given me so much and made such a difference in the interesting and unique times we are living in. For the guiding values I believe constant growth and development are most important to me because in life; like in healthcare and in our community, there is always room for growth and enrichment. We should always strive to be curious, engaged and striving to be the best version of ourselves.”
Sergio Velasquez
Program Manager for Prevention Care Coordination (PrEP and PEP)
Se habla español
Sergio Velasquez is the Program Manager for Prevention Care Coordination (PrEP and PEP) at Men's Health Foundation, where he leads programs that strengthen access to HIV prevention services through thoughtful program design, operational excellence, and patient-centered care. His work focuses on building systems that make high-quality prevention services easier to access, easier to navigate, and intentionally designed to meet the needs of LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, people of color, and other historically underserved communities.
Sergio's career has spanned HIV prevention, case management, clinical operations, and program leadership, giving him a broad understanding of how healthcare systems function from both the patient and provider perspectives. He began his work in HIV prevention while studying Human Biology at UC San Diego, where involvement with LGBTQ+ student organizations and the World AIDS Day planning committee inspired him to pursue a career in public health. Since then, he has led prevention programs, managed multidisciplinary teams, directed clinical operations, and developed workflows that improve access to PrEP, PEP, and sexual health services. Whether implementing new clinical processes, strengthening quality improvement efforts, or mentoring staff, Sergio is driven by a belief that good systems create better experiences for both patients and healthcare professionals.
-
In addition to his leadership roles, Sergio is an educator and advocate for equitable healthcare access. He serves as a trainer with the Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center, has been a panelist for the Los Angeles County HIV Workforce Summit, contributed to public discussions on HIV prevention for the City of West Hollywood, and previously served as an Ambassador for the CDC's Let's Stop HIV Together campaign. He enjoys bringing together clinical practice, public health policy, and operational strategy to develop practical, patient-centered solutions that improve health outcomes.
At the heart of Sergio's work is the belief that health equity cannot be separated from social justice. He is passionate about designing systems that reduce barriers to care and are intentionally built around the needs of LGBTQ+ and other historically underserved communities. As HIV prevention continues to evolve, Sergio remains committed to building innovative, equitable models of care that empower patients and strengthen communities.