STI CLINICAL TRAINING CENTER

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.

Kimberly Taylor (she/her/hers) provides administrative support to all members of the Denver Prevention Training Center (PTC). Kim helps with the planning and delivery of PTC training events, implementing and tracking PTC Initiatives, and finds the ever-changing nature of her work one of the most enjoyable things about working at the PTC. After graduating from Metropolitan State University with her degree in Social Work, she was determined to find a career that satisfied her desire to help others, and she thinks working at the PTC does just that.

Kim is an avid reader, listens to too many true crime podcasts, and, in her free time, can’t stop looking at dog adoption sites.

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?

Allison Finkenbinder (she/her/hers) assists in the development and provision of technical assistance and training to help healthcare organizations improve their sexual health services. She also coordinates continuing nursing education for the Denver Prevention Training Center and provides clinical services in the Denver Sexual Health Clinic. As a women’s health nurse practitioner, providing patient-centered care, comprehensive reproductive health care, and working to decrease stigma around HIV and STDs are important to her.

When not in the office or clinic, Allison enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, skiing, and spending time with her family.

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.