Dr. Michael Wohlfeiler- Featured Speaker

Dr. Michael Wohlfeiler is Medical Director of Special Immunology Services at Mercy Hospital in Miami, Florida. He began his professional career as an attorney after graduating from the University of Arizona College of Law. While in law school he received a scholarship to serve six months as a Staff Assistant with a subcommittee of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee while continuing his studies at Georgetown University Law School. After a brief and unhappy career as an attorney, he entered medical school at Rush Medical College in Chicago where he graduated Salutatorian in 1987. He completed his postgraduate training in internal medicine at the University of Miami. He began working with HIV/AIDS patients in 1988 when he became the study physician for the University of Miami's Biopsychosocial AIDS Project. After completing his residency training, he entered private practice with a focus on the care of persons with HIV/AIDS. In addition, he became involved in developing a new model of hospice care for terminally ill AIDS patients and served for 8 years as the Medical Director of a large AIDS hospice program. Dr. Wohlfeiler is board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is credentialed as an HIV Specialist by The American Board of HIV Medicine.

Dr. Wohlfeiler is a consulting member of Miami-Dade County's Ryan White Medical Care Subcommittee. He recently completed his term as Chair of the Florida Academy of HIV Medicine and is a member of the national Board of Directors for the American Academy of HIV Medicine. He has authored 2 chapters in books about end-of-life care for persons with AIDS and has published various peer-reviewed research articles and monographs. Dr. Wohlfeiler speaks locally, nationally, and internationally on issues related to HIV/AIDS and end-of-life care. He is involved extensively in HIV/AIDS clinical research trials. He serves as a Community Preceptor for medical students and residents attending the University of Miami. In 2002, the Ronald McDonald Foundation chose him as one of Miami's "Twelve Good Men". He has been selected three times for inclusion in the book The Best Doctors in America and has recently been appointed to the International Board of Directors of Amigos de las Americas, a youth-oriented non-profit organization that sends volunteers to Central and South America where they engage in a variety of developmental projects.

Nelson Vergel- Featured Speaker

Nelson Vergel is a former chemical engineer from Venezuela, is a 22 year HIV survivor who has become one of the leading treatment advocates and speakers in the US. He is the co-author of the book Built to Survive, the founder of the Body Positive Wellness Clinic in Houston, and the moderator of pozhealth, the discuss list, with the largest membership on the Internet. Nelson has lectured extensively in the past 15 years and will be coming on the cruise to talk about how to stay healthy and fit while living with HIV. For more information, visit www.nelsonvergel.com and www.medibolics.com

Bryan Levinson is the founder and executive director of Strength In Numbers International (aka SIN), the world's largest network for social groups tailored to HIV+ gay men and their friends. Bryan grew up in Seattle, then moved to the Bay Area to attend law school, and journeyed down to Los Angeles upon graduating to focus on corporate law and entertainment business development. Now back in San Francisco after 10 years in LA, he manages compliance and legal operations for a growing webcasting tech firm while also overseeing the over 40 chapters of SIN around the world, reaching nearly 10,000 members from Sydney to Sweden, Denver to Manhattan, and even soon to Amsterdam and Bogota (Colombia). As part of its current mission, SIN is working to develop social networking programs for women/people of color living with HIV/AIDS. Bryan keeps his energy up by training for long distance marathons and the AIDS Life/Cycle ride (545 miles from SF to LA in June 2008). Bryan loves his cat (Monkey), action flicks, hot dates, and eating far too much gourmet chocolates, although he hopes to be "bikini" ready well before the cruise!

Our Three Hosts

Grover Lawlis,a retired psychiatrist from Dallas is now a co-facilitator of a peer run HIV support group in Ft Lauderdale,FL. He also co-writes with his partner, Nate Klarfeld a column on HIV life in south Florida for the Independent Gay News.

Nate Klarfeld, a retired dentist and high school,sex education teacher is also involved with counseling newly diagnosed HIV men at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida, as well a facilitating a well attended HIV support group. Nate is also president of Stonewall Library, one of the largest and most respected gay libraries in the country.

Their long experience as long term survivors of HIV, as well as their extensive community involvement and outgoing personalities make them ideal host for our Cruise Retreat.