Meet Our Team!

Brooke Bender (she/her/hers) leads the Center for Addiction Medicine and its Academy in strategy, implementation, and sustainability. Brooke also leads the PRIDE Employee Resource Group at Denver Health to advocate for LGBTQ+ staff.  She strives for justice, innovation, and excellence by modeling transparency, collaboration, patience, reflection, and learning. Her favorite aspect of her job is hearing from community members how her efforts benefit people from marginalized communities. Volunteering in the Peace Corps in South Africa from 2003-2005 changed Brooke’s life and taught her many lessons and led her to do the community-based community-led programmatic work she loves doing today. In her free time, Brooke enjoys going to the mountains, snuggling her dogs, practicing yoga, connecting with people, and laughing – all of which feeds her soul.

Josh Blum (he) treats clients with substance use disorders at Denver Health.  He loves hearing each patient’s unique story and cheering them on towards triumph, and is driven by the belief that no individual is beyond hope or redemption.  He is grateful to work alongside such committed, devoted, and talented colleagues, and is devoted to provider education. Dr. Blum was drum major of his high school marching band. The clear organization and structure of the band left him woefully unprepared for leading a department of behavioral health clinicians.

Helen Burnside (she/her/hers) is honored to provide programmatic oversight of the Denver Prevention Training Center’s training and technical assistance programs and guidance to its program managers. Helen started her second career with a master’s degree in Community Health after reading Paul Farmer’s Mountains Beyond Mountains in Bolivia and has focused her work on HIV and STI prevention ever since. Helen is committed to advancing racial equity in health systems and believes that we can end the HIV epidemic by creating brave spaces for communities and healthcare providers to plan prevention strategies. She enjoys the people and the dynamic, changing nature of her work. Helen appreciates that she can solve complex problems by talking to her backyard bees, or hiking in the Flatirons, and still dreams of being a backup singer in a female jazz band.

Sarah Christensen, MD (she/her/hers) is the Medical Director of Outpatient Substance Use Disorders Treatment at Denver Health. My background is in Internal Medicine and Primary Care, gravitating toward Addiction Medicine with a true passion for taking care of patients who use drugs and alcohol. I joined the CAM leadership team as part of the Continuity of Care workgroup to help improve communication between our many amazing departments doing this work. I then transitioned to leadership in the CAM Academy as a subject matter expert for building out educational opportunities. One project I’ve enjoyed spearheading is running our Addiction Education Collaborative. This is a monthly meeting of any and all “Addiction Minded” folks across Denver Health and the Denver Metro area to learn from one another and improve all of our practices.

Emily Elrick (she/her/hers) is honored to support CAM Academy through the development of comprehensive training programs, continuous learning, technical assistance, and professional growth opportunities. With a Master’s in Organizational Psychology from the University of Southern California, Emily is passionate about driving positive organizational change. She believes that innovative training solutions play a vital role in shaping organizational culture and elevating the quality of care for patients. The book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck sparked a transformative shift in her life, serving as a source of inspiration in her pursuit of personal growth. In her free time, Emily finds joy in living an active lifestyle and spending time with her partner and golden retriever.

Vanessa Espinosa, MSW (she/her/hers) brings 7 years’ worth of social work community practice, the majority at the mezzo and macro levels of social work to create and sustain equitable policies and system within organizations that empower and work alongside community. Currently serving as a Workforce Development Specialist at Denver Health’s Public Health Institute under the Denver Prevention Training Center, she designs and delivers tailored, culturally responsive training and technical assistance for CDC-funded organizations and community partners, fostering equitable practices and advancing health equity nationwide. Vanessa has spearheaded innovative projects, such as implementing GIS mapping tools to visualize community engagement data and leading advocacy initiatives with a trauma-informed and anti-racist lens. Her work in program evaluation includes gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative metrics to drive policy recommendations and ensure impactful program outcomes. With a strong focus on racial justice, harm reduction, and culturally responsive care, Vanessa has successfully built and sustained cross-functional collaborations. Through evidence-based practices and strategic partnerships, Vanessa remains deeply committed to reducing disparities and empowering marginalized communities.

Tai Edward Few (he/him/his) manages the daily activities of the Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) program at the Denver Prevention Training Center (PTC). Additionally, he oversees the development and implementation of tailored capacity building in-services for clinics implementing HIV testing and prevention programs for persons living with HIV. In addition to Tai’s work at the Denver PTC, he is a member of the Denver Health’s Health Equity Committee and has a passion for social justice and racial equity. Tai’s favorite aspect of his job is assisting agencies in developing culturally responsive and equitable programs. Outside of work, he enjoys watching TV and movies, especially British police procedurals and Agatha Christie murder mysteries. When not watching TV or a good movie, he records and listens to podcasts on politics, current events, TV, movies, and African American history. If Tai weren’t working for the Denver PTC, he would be a history professor.

Brea Ford (she/her/hers) leads the efforts to provide the network of prevention training centers with evaluation data to communicate the benefits of the programs provided. She is also committed to using evaluation techniques to enhance the effectiveness and equity among the courses provided by our centers. Brea graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Indiana University with a passion for sexual health education.

Outside of work, Brea is a fan of Don Miguel Luiz and has a deep appreciation for his book The 4 Agreements. She enjoys iced chai lattes, listening to financial and self-love podcast, connecting with people, and traveling to enjoy new experiences. One strongly held belief she has is to always live in gratitude. Gratitude in the smallest ways can carry you through anything! Stay beautiful people!

Diana Flores Pena (she/her/ella) works to support the CAM Academy in project completion and administrative responsibilities to achieve the initiatives and goals of the department. Diana’s favorite aspect of the job is how integrated it is to many areas of the Denver Health Network. She believes it’s important how CAM builds community and teamwork. Diana is proud to be a first-generation college graduate! She has been the first to obtain a bachelor's and master's degree in her immediate and extended family. Education has changed her life and provided Diana with many open doors throughout her career and personal life. Diana enjoys being active and spending time outside with her dog Leia. Diana also enjoys spending time with family and friends trying new restaurants.

Lisa Frederick (she/her/hers) provides trainings for the PTC’s Disease Investigation Training Center and contributes to the PTC’s HIV prevention Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) services. Lisa states the best part of the job is working with such a creative, dedicated, and loving team. Lisa’s life changed in 1998 when she lost her brother to an AIDS-related illness. She has devoted 20 years to HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and sexual health. Her expertise extends to strategic planning and capacity building in organizational sustainability. Her passion and commitment are enhancing Black women’s health focusing on reproductive health, intersectionality, and resilience. Lisa channeled that passion by creating and leading a 3-part virtual roundtable discussion focusing on Black women’s health across the lifespan with over 2,500 participants.

She's not all work and no play and believes everyone must have laughter in their life. Lisa loves shopping, traveling, and spending time with her family including her little doggie Pia.

Misty Gutierrez (she/her/hers) provides administrative support to the Denver Prevention Training Center’s Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) program and the Disease Intervention Training Center (DITC). Misty assists with preparing and developing products, providing logistics support for training events, and managing program registration data. She is the jack of all trades around the office and enjoys every minute supporting and collaborating with her colleagues. Her previous position was in the Denver Sexual Health Clinic, where she found herself intrigued by all things STI/HIV related. She is passionate about making a difference in the community.

If you get an auto-reply from Misty, she is probably enjoying the outdoors, being a dog mom, learning a new recipe, or spending time with family and friends.

Zami Tinashe Hyemingway (Zami/he/him) is the Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) Manager, at the Denver Prevention Training Center (PTC). Zami leads an amazing team of subject matter experts, to provide technical assistance and capacity building work to clinics, health departments and community-based organizations (CBO’s). Zami has over 14 years’ experience in developing and implementing health behavior and health promotion programs, including being a founding staff member for Gender Health SF formerly known as Transgender Health Services. Zami’s favorite pieces of this work, is being able to assist agencies in building their skills to provide heart centered, culturally responsive and person first care and programs.

When not working at the Denver PTC, you will find Zami going on hiking adventures with his dogs Whitney and Houston, volunteering with local Black owned farms, and hosting wellness retreats and workshops that teach community members and organizations how to thrive and maximize their potential.

Destiny Kelley (she/her/hers) provides organization, coordination, and communication dissemination between the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC) and the CDC. She also represents Denver Health (the Denver Prevention Training Center’s parent organization) in numerous community organizations and events to promote health equity and the importance of STD screening and treatment. Her favorite part of the job is traveling and meeting all the people she works with around the country.

If not working, you can find Destiny gardening, sewing, hosting, or hiking the Rocky Mountains with her rescue pup, Koda.

Krystal Latimer (she/her) is passionate about building meaningful partnerships and creating impactful learning strategies in public health. She’s dedicated to advancing workforce development and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Outside of work, Krystal loves traveling, coaching youth basketball, unwinding at spas, and cheering on her favorite sports teams. She’s a firm believer in the Leviticus diet and an alkaline lifestyle for maintaining balance. If she could be anything, Krystal would be a world traveler with the ability to speak any language, connecting intimately with cultures everywhere she goes!

John Mills (he/him/his) leads project planning and implementation with CAM Academy. He considers himself somewhat of a weaver, piecing together different ideas, partners, and systems into one unique deliverable to achieve a specific goal. His commitment to Racial Equity has always been a part of his life, now he simply has the tools to name and promote it. His ability to connect with people from all disciplines within the healthcare workforce drives his work. Outside of CAM Academy, he enjoys spending time playing uncle to his nieces and nephews, hanging out with friends, and concert going around town. If he could be anything in the world it would be a Zookeeper, minus picking up the poo!

Mariska Osborne-Wells provides guidance and training support within the Denver Prevention Training Center. She comes to the program with 15 years of lived experience in HIV/STI prevention that started as a Disease Intervention Specialist, Trainer, and Surveillance Coordinator. She brings a passion for equitable health access, culturally appropriate client engagement especially for women and youth of color. Some of her favorite things are exploring while traveling, delectable food, photography, dancing and concerts in the car on a road trip or just an impromptu joy ride. She also loves fast cars, roaring engines, and adrenaline boosters. She strongly believes in truth telling, sometimes the truth hurts, it should be received with grace and knowing the messenger means no harm. If she could be anything in the world, she envisions herself as a Criminologist (CSI), because there is something to be solved and critical thinking is one of her skills.

Sarah Rowan (she/her/hers) has a mission to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and HCV, and to end HIV and HCV transmission. To that end, she divides her time between clinical care, research, teaching, and public health programming. She attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma, spent her residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and completed an infectious diseases fellowship at the University of Colorado. When not seeing patients or working to make the world healthier, Sarah likes to play board games, paint and draw, go for morning runs with friends, travel with family, or overcommit to volunteer projects at her kids’ school.

Quiana Stallsworth (she/her/hers) conducts training assessments, coordinates and delivers courses and provides technical assistance to partners and clinics that provide sexual health services in the Denver Prevention Training Center (PTC) clinical region.

With a foundation in Human Resources, Quiana has honed her expertise in career advancement through coaching and training initiatives. Her academic pursuits culminated in advanced degrees in psychology and sociology, endowing her with a nuanced understanding and a diverse skill set essential for navigating triumphs and complexities of STI prevention and training.
She actively works towards dismantling the shame and stigma surrounding sexual identity, orientation, preference, and alternative lifestyles. Her advocacy reflects a deep-seated commitment to advocacy and inclusivity, seeking to create spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.

When she’s not working, you will find Quiana dancing in her living room to songs that she hears in her head while her dog stares at her in bewilderment.

River Trevino (they/them) designs a variety of curricula for both Denver Prevention Training Center (PTC) and the Center for Addiction Medicine (CAM). Whether it is a class of 1 or a class of 100+, their instructional design process focuses on building a variety of curricula that meaningfully engages each learner with the content in an actionable way. Their guiding principle in collaborative leadership challenges them and those they work with to develop sustainable training solutions that match the desires and needs of both leadership and staff. As an avid advocate for cultural responsiveness, River recognizes that organizational and individual change requires both accountability and compassion. Therefore, they always strive to meet others where they are and help them to a place of self-awareness and action.

When they’re not at work, you can find River snuggling their pitty-mix Scout, empowering LGBTQ+ youth to be their authentic selves, honing their skills as an amateur nature photographer, communing with nature through meditation & nature walks, and being fabulously independent together with their amazing partner, Miss Jai.

Nexi Sanchez-Villalobos (she/her/hers) provides administrative support to the Denver Prevention Training Center programs. After obtaining her degree in Healthcare Management from Metropolitan State University, Nexi achieved her goal of working for Denver Health when she was hired at the Denver Health Women’s Care Clinic. Recognizing the need for disease prevention was important, she later joined Public Health and the Denver Prevention Training Center.

Nexi enjoys being outdoors with her family. When she is not outdoors, you will most likely find her at HomeGoods. She also loves interior decorating and enjoys making her house feel like a home.

Blaine Wajdowicz (he/him/his) is a certified Nurse Practitioner with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. His passion for public health and infection prevention started over ten years ago as a volunteer with the Boulder County AIDS Project and as an intern/mentor for their SHAPE (Sexual Health and AIDS Awareness Peer Education) program which guided high school youth to provide identity affirming, medically accurate peer education. His background includes experience in public health, harm reduction, management and prevention of STIs and HIV, as well as experience in substance use and medication assisted treatment (MAT). He is excited to join  the Denver Prevention Training Center team to continue its impactful work of supporting and empowering clinicians and healthcare workers throughout the country. When not working, you can find him enjoying the outdoors be it running, hiking, or snowshoeing.

Bev Wasserman (she/her/hers) provides capacity-building assistance and training for clinical and non-clinical organizations offering HIV services. Beverly has four decades of experience as a practicing registered nurse, most of which has been in HIV clinical services, more recently providing capacity building and technical assistance for the HIV workforce. Beverly has a key focus on uplifting health and racial equity in clinical care, along with supporting Health Systems change. Bev holds the belief that we must always create space to include the communities we serve as partners to inform programming and that we must care for the healthcare workforce while promoting equitable care and services to communities.

When not in the office, Bev enjoys time with her family, friends (non-human too), yoga, travel, and spending time in nature.

Karen Wendel (she/her/hers) is the Director of HIV/STD Prevention and Control Division at the Public Health Institute at Denver Health. In this capacity, she works with the Denver Health STD Clinic and Denver Prevention Training Center to promote STD education and care in our region and improve access to HIV testing and HIV prevention services locally and nationally. Karen has been involved in HIV and STD clinical care and research while on faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Oklahoma Health Science Center, and University of Colorado Health Science Center. She has participated in CDC STD Treatment Guidelines meetings and has conducted research into the causes of vaginitis and urethritis. Karen received her medical degree at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine training and infectious disease fellowship at John Hopkins Hospital.

If Karen weren’t leading the team in new directions, she would be a lounge singer because she enjoys singing... whether it’s considered good or not is another story.

Rebekka Zak DO, MPH (she/her/her) is a family medicine physician with additional fellowship training in maternal child health, with an emphasis on low-risk and surgical obstetrics. She started working at Denver Health in 2019 as a primary care physician at the La Casa Quigg Newton Family Health Center, where she was also an active participant in the FM-OB call group for 5 years. In March of 2024 she began working at PHIDH (formerly Denver Public Health) as an attending physician in both the Denver Sexual Health and Tuberculosis clinics.

In her role at the sexual health clinic, she provides clinical support and oversight of staff RNs and NPs. She also provides direct patient care for a wide range of family planning and sexual health concerns, including HIV diagnosis and rapid ART start. She provides consultation on STD-related concerns through the electronic consultation service that is available to all Denver Health providers. Additionally, she provides clinical consultation for the STD Clinical Consult Network as part of the Prevention Training Center which serves the states of AR, CO, LA, MS, OK, TX, UT, and WY.

In her role at the Denver Health Tuberculosis clinic, she provides direct patient care for patients with both latent and active tuberculosis for seven counties in Metro Denver. She also trains and supervises residents rotating through the TB clinic as part of their community health elective training. She provides consultation on TB-related concerns through the electronic consultation service that is available to all Denver Health providers. In addition, she serves as a consultant for CDPHE in providing clinical consultation for TB patients throughout the state of Colorado.

In addition to her work at PHIDH, Dr. Zak continues her work as a primary care physician, providing comprehensive family medicine services through Denver Health’s Ambulatory Care Services Department. She is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In this role, she serves as an advisor to family medicine residents and a direct preceptor to medical students rotating through their clinical clerkships.

When not at work, she enjoys hiking with her dog Gizmo, reading, baking, dancing to live music, and spending time with her husband and 2 kiddos.