Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence

Karen Kurtzweil, MS, OTR/RSM
Karen received her Bachelor's in Occupational Therapy in 1979 from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and advanced Master's in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University in 1988. She has worked in a variety of settings from Home Health to hospital based care. Since 1996 Karen has worked in subacute rehabilitation and since 2004 has worked with cognitively impaired clients having received specialty training and education in diagnoses causing cognitive impairment and techniques for treatment.
Emily Beacham, PTA
Emily graduated with her BA from Colorado State University in Fort Collins in 1995. She worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant on a women's behavioral / dementia unit before attending Denver Tech to complete her Associates Degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant in 1999. Emily has worked at Garden Terrace since 1999.
Deniece Hanson, PTA
Deniece graduated with her BA from Washburn University in Topeka in 1993 with an empahsis in Exercise Physiology. In 1998 she received her Associates Degree as a Phyiscal Therapist Assistant from Gateway Community College in Phoenix, Arizona and was subsequently licensed. Deniece is positive, energetic, and shares this with our geriatric population with which she enjoys working above all others.
Jana Fisherowitz, LPT
Jana has a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas granted in 1977. She has worked in many settings, but her favorite is geriatrics. Jana's interest is in helping this population live their lives to their greatest potential.
Melissa Catanach, LPT, DPT
Melissa graduated from the University of Michigan with her BS in Movement Science in 2005, she then continued at the University of Colorado Denver to earn her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2009. She believes that she is most successful with her patients when therapy is fun and the family is involved. Melissa enjoys educating her patients and their families to be successful when they are discharged.
Teri Travisano, LPT, DPT
Teri's undergraduate education includes Wake Forest University and graduation from Colorado State University with a 2005 Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Exercise Science. In 2009 she was awarded her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado. Teri has trained in multiple settings and fell in love with helping patients with neurological deficits. She looks forward to the honor of helping you and your loved one achieve their maximum mobility and and independence so life can be lived to its fullest.
Patrica A. Nixon, MA, SLP, CCC
Patricia earned her Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1968. She is deeply committed to her patients and profession and continues to educate herself in her field so she may render the most current therapy to her patients health. Patricia's philosophy: one should never stop learning, every patient deserves the best!
Christina Thomas, SLP, CFY
Christina received her Bachelors Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2007 from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. She then went on to receive her Masters Degree in 2009 from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. Christina has trained in multiple settings and fell in love with the geriatric population. She loves the diversity of this group and learning about each individual. Christina enjoys working in the area of cognitive stimulation enabling each individual to live their life to its fullest enjoying conversation and socialization.
Kylie Hockenberry, SLP
Kylie earned her Master’s of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Illinois State University in 2009. During her graduate work, she developed a passion for the adult population with diagnoses of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other degenerative diseases. She strives to provide her patients and their families with education and resources to promote cognitive function and communication competence throughout the course of a degenerative disease. Additionally, she has a strong interest in swallowing treatment and uses objective clinical judgment in determining the least restrictive diet for each patient by taking into consideration swallow safety, nutritional needs, and patient values. Kylie hopes to build meaningful rapport with each patient and family by approaching therapy with an open mind as an opportunity not only to teach but to learn, grow in her own individuality, and increase her love and respect for humanity.
Jayna Sullivan, COTA
Jayna graduated in 2000 from the Denver Technical College/DeVry University with an Associate’s Degree in Occupational Therapy Assisting. Jayna is originally from Wyoming and has been working in skilled nursing for over 15 years. She is currently obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration from Regis University and will be graduating in 2010. Jayna has a true passion for the geriatric population and believes that improving quality of life is essential to both residents and their families.
Jayne Brandt, OTR
Jayne received a Masters in Occupational Therapy in 1993 from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. She has worked in many Denver hospital settings, and for the past eight years has exclusively focused on rehabilitation therapy for adults in skilled nursing facilities. She brings to her patients a holistic approach towards improving helath, using body awareness techniques that increase balance, strength, and flexibility
Chelsea Randall, OTR
Chelsea, a native of Minnesota, received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology in 2006 from the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota, and her Master of Science in Occuational Therapy in 2008 from Colorado State University. Her work has emphasized traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and cognitive impairment. She enjoys bringing fresh, innovative concepts into her therapy while maintaining each patient's individuality. Chelsea is an active lifelong learner who believes that consistent team work is clutch to therapeutic gains.