2020 CANADIAN LIVER MEETING

Reconnecting! After a two-year hiatus, reconnection was truly the predominant sentiment throughout the CLM for those who attended live in Ottawa. It was fantastic to see friends and colleagues from across the country and have the networking touchstones that come with meeting together in person. Reconnection was felt virtually as well, through the laughter, the engaging and interactive elements and the very special CAHN member profile presentation.

CAHN program once again showcased the in-depth knowledge of Nurses and Doctors while remaining relevant to the needs of members who practice in a variety of settings.

The day started bright and early with the Meet a Nurse Expert Workshop. The incredibly detailed presentation: HIV/HCV Co-Infection, Tamara Barnett & Karen Lundgren, Cool Aid Community Health Centre, showcased how HIV and HCV can be treated in a holistic manner utilizing the services of an impressive array of allied health and creative solutions.

Next in CAHN’s program was Specialty Nursing, a Holistic and Integrated Approach to Care. First, Barbra Cave from the University of Louisville presented “Needle Exchange Programs: A Spotlight on the Influence of Social Determinants of Health on Viral Hepatitis.” Followed by the virtual presentation, “Implications of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Substance Use”. Leo Yamamoto from the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre interviewed his patient, Jessica Bigstone. The dialogue was a fascinating look into the impacts of the lived experience of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and substance use.

The Hepatology Zebras described key considerations for a diagnostic approach for autoimmune liver disease and summarized and evaluated the common diagnostic tests for PBC, PSC and AIH. Our speakers: Diagnosis of Autoimmune Liver Disease (AILD), Hin Hin Ko, University of British Columbia, Canada, Post Transplant Recurrence – AILD, Gideon Hirschfield, University Health Network, Canada and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin, David Wong, University Health Network, Unity Health (St. Michael’s Hospital).

And last but not least, the great debate that is quickly becoming THE way to wrap up the CAHN portion of CLM! Attendees from all over the conference poured into the meeting room to hear a hilarious (scientific) roast debating, The Cure: to SVR or not to SVR?, with Curtis Cooper, University of Ottawa, Canada, vs. Alnoor Ramji, University of British Columbia, Canada. Whether or not you agreed with the debate points, everyone in the room was united in laughter.

Presentations remain available to CAHN members. Please reach out to [email protected] while we are in the process of creating our video library.