2022 CAHNference
We’re Still Standing

The 3rd annual CAHNference was November 19 in Vancouver. It was the first hybrid event we have ever held, with about 80 attendees joining us! The theme of this year’s CAHNference was that we are still standing – and everyone’s attendance certainly showed that. The CAHNference had a kick-off on Friday with a collaborative event with INHSU for their Intervention Implementation Symposium. This triggered some riveting discussion among allied health providers and peer workers throughout the weekend. The day ended with a dinner and presentation by Dr. Ed Tam, who provided a storyline of hepatology with some audience participation on thoughts on where we are going in the next few years.
Saturday began with a keynote speaker from Calgary, Dr. Monty Ghosh, on addiction as a brain disease and how we can build greater capacity in this population. He gave us food for thought as we continue to find ways to engage this population in care. Colina Yim and Kellie Guarasci gave a whirlwind global meeting update summarizing highlights for our nurses by our fellow nurse colleagues. I’m still not sure how they managed to cram so much info into the time they were provided! We then heard from CAHN nurses – Julie Germain, Lisa Douglas and Sarah DeCoutere on three separate case studies and how they worked through each one. This proves to be a CAHNference favourite every year.
The afternoon kicked off with an interactive presentation highlighting motivational interviewing with Liam Reynolds, a social worker. This is a technique we often use without knowing it. However, if we are more aware, we can continue to hone in on our patients to motivate them to make behaviour changes. The afternoon also highlighted an end-stage liver disease portion on the multidisciplinary model of care in Victoria, BC, for decompensated liver disease, presented by Rozalyn Milne and followed by Susan Allen from the other coast on optimizing patients for liver transplant.
Thank you to our attendees and sponsors that helped make this year’s CAHNference happen. Reflecting on the weekend, I feel fortunate to be amongst such a vibrant membership that thrives on collaboration. It is important to recognize that most of the content from CAHNference was produced directly by our members, for our members. Please continue to provide feedback either formally or informally so we can continue to provide quality education and meet your learning needs. See you next year!
We are happy to introduce our Friends of CAHN membership and hope to continue to engage all allied health professionals who work in liver disease and learn from each other.