STI CLINICAL TRAINING CENTER

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.

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.

Myra Young (she/her/hers) is a nurse practitioner providing consultation, training, and technical assistance to help regional sexual health clinics improve their STI/HIV-related services.  Myra has a master’s degree in Human Sexuality and Health Education from New York University, and Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.  She has over 20 years of clinical experience in sexual and reproductive health, with a focus on HIV, STIs, and the management of HPV-related diseases.  She is passionate about facilitating conversations around sexual health with providers, thought leaders and patients (and anyone else who will listen), and eliminating stigma related to HIV and STIs.

When she’s not working, you can probably find Myra out listening to live music, most likely a Grateful Dead cover band.

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.

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.

Yomi Obafemi (she/her/hers) provides medical guidance for the Denver Sexual Health Clinic, in addition to delivering STI/HIV prevention, management, and care to individuals. She enjoys finding new ways to make electronic health records more provider friendly, traveling to new places, and getting lost in unfamiliar neighborhoods. A behavioral economic term called the sunk-cost fallacy changed her life; it refers to when people continue a behavior or task because they’ve invested many resources into it rather than because the activity is productive or profitable. It’s changed her approach to work and life by helping her clarify which activities in life/work to continue versus those that do not require additional effort. Yomi strongly believes that all human beings deserve access to affordable housing, healthcare, and reliable sources of food/water.

If Yomi could be anything in the world, she would choose to join the Marvel Universe as a member of Wakanda’s elite female Special Forces Team, the Dora Milaje – great outfits, no bad hair days and general fierceness - what else needs to be said?

Teri Anderson (she/her/hers) manages the Denver Prevention Training Center’s STI Clinical Regional grant. She supervises training courses delivered by the clinical team, as well as provides technical assistance and consultation to health care organizations and clinics in STI service delivery quality improvement. Her 10 years working in the Denver STD Clinic as a clinician and laboratorian and 30+ years of clinical training experience lay the foundation for her role as the coordinator of the regional center. Teri graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology from the University of Colorado and has never lost her passion for working in public and sexual health.

If you can’t locate Teri, it’s either because she forgot her phone, she’s under the ocean water with her husband, on a mountain trying to keep up with her offspring, curled up with a good book, or in the kitchen experimenting with a sprinkle of this and that. Don’t worry – she’ll always call you back.