Denver Disease Intervention Training Center

(He/ Him, They/Them) supports the implementation of the Denver PTC’s Disease Investigation Training by providing DI and regional disease investigation training within region 3 of the National Network of Disease Intervention Training Centers. Growing up in Oklahoma, Jose experienced the struggles of living in rural areas where access to health care, PrEP, and HIV/STI education was limited, and language barriers presented issues in his community. He is passionate about inclusion, diversity, eliminating homophobia and transphobia, education surrounding social stigmas, and building sustainable community relations. Jose motivates and inspires others to become involved and improve their communities by amplifying their voices and connecting individuals to learning and leadership opportunities. He loves working out, long walks and sit-downs along the beach, and is a big movie fan; You can find him at the movies every weekend.

Julia Weise (she/her/hers) manages several Linkage to Care projects, including HIV treatment, PrEP initiation, HIV jail transitions, and cardiovascular patient navigation. With over 25 years of experience at Denver Health and the Denver Prevention Training Center, she loves her diverse and somewhat fragmented role of program manager, clinical supervisor, trainer, and consultant because every day is different and meaningful. A Social Worker by background, Julia’s favorite aspect of her work is relationship building and collaboration with colleagues and (local and national) partners.

When she’s not increasing the capacity of clinical settings to provide outstanding individualized health care services to all or advancing equitable health care delivery, Julia is happiest when the sun is shining, and there is something fun and active to do in the beautiful outdoors of Colorado (summer preferred!)

Stewart Thomas (he/him/his) supports implementation of the PTC’s Disease Investigation Training Center providing COVID-19 training and regional disease investigation training. Stewart also co-leads the PTC’s Communities of Practice (CoP) for our region’s Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS). Stewart enjoys working with diverse and disparate cultures to invite, engage, and enable communities to thrive in all aspects of well-being.

Stewart adores hiking in beautiful Colorado with rich coffee in hand and his four-legged dog, Henry. If Stewart can offer one piece of advice, that would be to balance responsibility with passion and bring your whole self to the table!

Terry W. Stewart (he/him/his) has been providing training, consultation, and management services in the STD/HIV prevention field for over 32 years, with experience spanning across academic, community-based non-profit and public health settings. Terry’s expertise includes program management, staff and leadership development, curriculum design, and training and facilitation, as well as the design, implementation, and evaluation of behavioral interventions. He joined the Denver PTC in 1998, coordinating behavioral intervention training, and later leading the PTC. He now provides consulting services (TWStewart Consulting, LLC). During Terry’s time with the PTC, he oversaw the regional, national, and international work of a dynamically talented team responding to the evolving needs of health professionals working in STD/HIV.

Truly believing everything happens for a reason, Terry transformed the grief and loss from the early years of the HIV epidemic into inspiration and passion, moving from business management to public health management. While Terry has no regrets, he might have been an architect in a different lifetime.

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.

Katie Langland (she/her/hers) conducts HIV/STI training, develops new curricula, and provides capacity building assistance services. She has been in HIV prevention for over 15 years as a bilingual master trainer, and hworked with the Southern African Prevention Initiative to bring comprehensive and evidence-based training to over 500 participants in sub-Saharan Africa. Katie is very passionate about immigrant health and rights and has worked in this arena domestically and internationally. Katie is the first person in her family to obtain a master’s degree and worked full-time while doing so. She tries to visit a new country each year and enjoys traveling, meeting new people, and trying yummy foods. She believes little, kind acts make a big difference. Serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and Panama changed her life and has been her proudest accomplishment to date!

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 STD/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 plant mom, learning a new recipe, or spending time with family and friends.

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.