CAHN's Executive Team
CAHN is run by an amazing team of dedicated volunteers with the support of Administrative Consultants. Volunteering for CAHN is a fun and rewarding way to make new connections and hone leadership skills in the field of hepatology nursing.
Elizabeth (Liz) Lee
President, Board Member
2021-2023
Liz Lee is a nurse practitioner at the Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network. She has worked for over 12 years in various clinical settings in the community and within the University Health Network, spanning the continuum of chronic liver disease from diagnosis to transplantation.
She obtained a Master of Nursing- Nurse Practitioner (Adult Emphasis) from the University of Toronto. She has a Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Certification in Gastroenterology and has completed an NP Fellowship to support her clinical training in hepatology through the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Her main clinical focus is on the management of patients with advanced liver disease and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). She works on developing quality improvement initiatives and research projects aimed at optimizing clinical management in these patient populations. She maintains a separate practice in managing patients in general hepatology. She is an AASLD Special Interest Group (SIG) Steering Committee member for ALD and is a founding member of the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL SIG) on ALD.
She has a keen interest in clinical education and fostering the growth of hepatology nurses. She is a Hub Member for ECHO Ontario Liver, a provincially funded initiative supporting a virtual learning community for primary care providers (PCPs) to support their management of patients with liver disease. She also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer for the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto.
On a personal note, she is an outdoors enthusiast, with her most recent trips (prior to pandemic) through the Yukon River, Patagonia and West Coast Trail. She aspires to paddle the Nahanni River in Northwest Territories in the future.
Lisa Douglas
President-Elect, Board Member
2021-2023
I am a Nurse Practitioner in Calgary, Alberta. My experience with Hepatology includes nearly 9 years working at the Outpatient Hepatology Clinic at the University of Calgary Medical Clinics/Foothill Medical Centre. My clinical focus includes care of cirrhotic patients, managing patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and transitioning/supporting patients to palliation when appropriate. I have experience in managing addictions with a focus on alcohol use and am currently and temporarily involved in a project launching the new electronic medical record in Alberta. I have been a nurse since 1998 and an NP since 2009.
Lori Lee Walston
Treasurer, Board Member
2021-2023
Lori Lee has over 34 years of nursing experience from neonatal nursery to geriatric rehabilitation, medicine to surgery. The last 20 years were in the field of Hepatology where she worked both clinical and research with Hepatitis C patients. She started working with interferon alfa and participated in all the clinical trials that eventually brought the current treatments to market. She retired from nursing at the end of 2019 and now resides in Saskatchewan enjoying good country life. Lori Lee has been a member of CAHN since its inception. She has held the position of Treasurer since 2014.
Wendy Schaufert
Secretary, Board Member
2021-2023
I have worked in Calgary for the majority of my nursing career my first job was as a Cardiac Medical /Surgical RN. After 15 years in the area, I moved to Endoscopy nursing for quite a few years and now the last 8 years in Hepatology.
My current role -Nurse Clinician for the Nurse-Led High-Risk NAFLD Clinic in Calgary, AB – This role includes triaging referrals, seeing patients in consult and continued long-term follow-up for NASH and Cirrhotic patients, teach in multidisciplinary workshops to educate our patients on their disease condition and management.
Our clinic covers Calgary and Southern Alberta as well as north to the Red Deer area. I started the clinic in 2014 with a low-risk NAFLD focus which then changed in 2017 to a High-Risk NAFLD clinic. I participated in the development of the NAFLD clinical care pathway with Dr. Mark Swain, also participated in the development of the Provincial Clinical Care NAFLD pathway in 2020 along with Hepatologist in Alberta, RN’s and Rural GP’s.
This year I am very excited to be involved in the AASLD NAFLD Nomenclature consensus meeting held in Chicago this July/22.
On a personal note, I have been married for 30 years and have 2 children. My son graduated University last year and my daughter will graduate next year. Both are in Business (like their dad). We live out in the country where our 3 dogs can run wild.
I have been a member of CAHN since 2015. I joined the CAHN BOD in 2021 and enjoy being part of the standards and competencies committee. I also represent CAHN with CANNASH.
Lindsay Myles
Board Member, Education Chair, Regional Events Co-Chair
2022-2024
Lindsay Myles is a primary care nurse practitioner who has developed a subspeciality in hepatology. Since graduating from the University of Toronto, she has practised in Barrie with a community group of gastroenterologists at the Simcoe Liver Centre. They see patients with all liver diseases in the Simcoe Muskoka region. She is particularly interested in optimizing community management of liver disease in order to reduce repeated hospital admissions and so patients can enjoy a better quality of life.
Stephanie Eiloart
Board Member
2022-2024
Stephanie Eiloart has worked in many different areas of nursing, including endoscopy, clinical research, and hepatology. For the past 20 years, I have been dedicated to treating patients with Hepatitis C and in the past three years I have worked with HepCure a non-for-profit organization, working with the homeless population and people with addictions. I cover mainly the Toronto area but also support our mobile units and clinics in other parts of Ontario. I enjoy being out on the street finding and helping this population achieve the best possible treatment outcomes despite the countless obstacles in their lives.
Sarah De Coutere
Board Member, Regional Events Co-Chair
2022-2024
Sarah obtained her diploma in nursing in Halifax, Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Calgary, and her Master of Nursing from Dalhousie University in Halifax. She is a hepatology nurse practitioner working in Halifax with people with end stage liver disease, hepatitis B and C, fatty liver disease and autoimmune liver diseases. She has been on local and national committees for promotion of hepatology practice and shares her knowledge freely and often with anyone who wants to know! She is passionate about encouraging nurses to share their stories with each other locally, nationally, and internationally, to appreciate each other’s successes and challenges, with the goal of ultimately influencing practice for overall improved health experiences for all. In her spare time, she is a proud mother of two engineering university students, a prolific knitter, telemark skier, hiker, camper and a sea kayak instructor and guide.
Leo Yamamoto
Conference Co-Chair
2021-2023
Leo Yamamoto is a registered nurse who obtained his Bachelor of Nursing from York University in Toronto. His experience in hepatology began in 2018 where he worked alongside a team of infectious disease specialists in treating viral hepatitis and HIV among vulnerable and marginalized population in the inner city of Vancouver. Leo now works as a hepatology research nurse/coordinator where his area of research involves NAFLD, NASH, HBV, PBC, PSC, and EoE. He has been a CAHN member since 2018 and recently joined the executive team in 2021.
On a personal note, Leo has been involved in street dance since 2008 and is a member of the Vancity Lockers in Vancouver. He also practices Muay Thai and enjoys spending time with his wife and fluffy dog, Lenny – a white sable rough collie.
Lindsey Lenters
Special Projects Chair
2021-2023
Lindsey is the Hep C Nurse at Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, part of the Toronto Community Hep C Program. She is relatively new to the world of hepatology nursing, having worked previously as an emergency department nurse and as a public health program coordinator. She is looking forward to expanding her network & deepening her knowledge of hepatology nursing!
Colina Yim
Standards & Competencies Chair
2021-2023
Colina is a nurse practitioner working at the Toronto Centre for Liver Disease (TCLD) where she has practiced for 3 decades. She obtained her Master’s in Nursing from the University of Toronto and has a current adjunct appointment at the Faculty of Nursing. Her clinical expertise includes viral hepatitis and decompensated liver disease.
Her professional leadership activities, nationally and internationally, have been notable, particularly as the founder of the Canadian Association of Hepatology Nurses (CAHN), past-chair of the National Education Committee of the Canadian Liver Foundation, past co-chair of the Canadian Nurses Association Special Hepatitis C Project, and the founder of Hepatitis B peer support group. In 2012, she received Canada’s esteemed Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her contributions in the liver community.
Her research interests include stigma and the socio-cultural behaviour in patients with viral hepatitis. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored a book on Hepatitis C. She has previously received research grants on several studies, mentored nursing students in completing research projects, and served as an abstract reviewer for the AASLD and the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver. She believes nurses will continue to play an important role in the field of hepatology as it advances.
Liza Abraham
Conference Co-Chair
2022-2023
As a seasoned RN in the Hepatitis C field, Liza Abraham has worked in many different settings over the last several years. From community, Hospital, outreach, and virtual settings, she continues to expand with the rapidly changing Hepatitis C environment. Liza currently works with Omega Specialty Nurses as an Outreach RN, as well as True North Medical Treatment Centres in a pilot project for remote Hep C testing and Nursing care with the OAT population.
Elizabeth Martin
Membership Chair
2022-2023
Elizabeth Martin has been a Nurse since 2007 and has worked in a variety of settings in Canada throughout Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, and Northwest Territories. She obtained her Master of Nursing- Nurse practitioner Stream through Dalhousie University and started her GI career in Yellowknife in 2013.
Since 2016 she has been in Southern Ontario working in Community GI/Hepatology clinics (primarily Hepatology). She supports Hepatologists and Gastroenterologist treating all liver diseases with a focus on cirrhosis, decompensated liver disease, NASH/NAFLD and viral hepatitis. She has recently become the Director of Outreach for a non-for-profit organization with a focus on identifying and treating priority populations at risk for hepatitis C infection.
Danae Sale
Administrative Consultant
Danae has been supporting CAHN’s executive team since 2016.
Participating on CAHN’s executive team is a fun and fulfilling way to help deliver education to hepatology nurses across Canada while becoming a leader in the field. Contact Danae at [email protected] to learn about open opportunities.
Emma Jensen
Administrative Consultant
Emma has over 3 years of various marketing and administrative experience and is excited to be supporting CAHN’s executive team. Emma has recently obtained her diploma in marketing management; she hopes to further expand her experience and knowledge within her administrative consultant role. In her free time, Emma enjoys many outdoor activities like backpacking, hiking, and kayaking.