Don Kurtyka, A.R.N.P., M.S., M.B.A., B.C.

Don Kurtyka is an advanced registered nurse practitioner (A.R.N.P.) who has logged years of experience working with and training others in the use of T-20 (enfuvirtide, Fuzeon). He has worked extensively with Roche, the drug's distributor, to educate both Fuzeon patients and HIV healthcare professionals on how Fuzeon works, how it should be prepared and the proper techniques for injecting it. By his estimate, approximately 50 HIV-positive patients to date have received Fuzeon under his care or received his assistance administering Fuzeon. He has also hosted or presented two formal educational programs on Fuzeon: "Overview of Fuzeon Therapy" and "The Role of the Nurse in Fuzeon Treatment," the latter of which is available on DVD and distributed nationally as a continuing education program for HIV nurses.

Don holds a range of leadership and educational positions in HIV care and medicine: He is the president of the Tampa Bay, Fla., chapter of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, the administrative director of HIV services at Tampa General Hospital, the clinical director of the Hillsborough County Health Department's HIV clinic, an instructor at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and a member of the faculty at the Florida/Caribbean AIDS Education and Training Center.

In addition to his work with Fuzeon, Don has lectured throughout the world on a variety of topics related to HIV and other infectious diseases, and frequently participates as an investigator in clinical trials for HIV treatment.

Don earned his B.S. in nursing from Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. In 1983 he completed his M.B.A. from Western New England College with a focus on healthcare administration, and in 1992 earned an M.S. in family health nursing from the University of South Florida, where he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing.