Join us for the Annual Conference!

9:00  am               

Welcome and Opening Remarks

A Glimpse into the Future of Echocardiography   

Dr. Michael Yin-Cheung Tsang, MD, FRCPC, FASE, Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia

Dr. Michael Tsang is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiology at the University of British Columbia. He completed his MD and residency training at the University of British Columbia, and advanced echocardiography and research training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His clinical expertise and research interests include the use of echocardiography for assessing valvular heart disease and the application of artificial intelligence for the analysis of echocardiographic data.

Jaclyn Lam, CRCS, CRGS, MHA, Cardiac Sonographer, Division of Cardiology, University of British Columbia  

Jaclyn is a cardiac sonographer and clinical educator at the Vancouver General Hospital, as well as the manager of the VGH-UBC Artificial Intelligence Echo Core Lab. She recently completed a Masters in Health Administration at the University of British Columbia.

This joint presentation will focus on sharing the basics of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, more specifically how machine learning and AI can be applied to echocardiography. The presenters will also discuss their vision for what the future of echocardiography holds.  

Aortic Stenosis

Dr. Usha Manian, MBBS, MRES, MRCP(UK), FRCPC, Cardiologist, KW-CPS, St. Mary's General Hospital

Dr. Manian currently works as a non-invasive cardiologist at St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener. She trained at Western University for her Internal Medicine residency, Adult Cardiology residency and Echocardiography Fellowship. Dr. Manian completed her medical degree at Newcastle University in the UK where she also completed a Master's of Research degree in Medical and Molecular Biosciences. Dr. Manian's interests of study include Quality Improvement in echocardiography, congenital heart disease for the community cardiologist and interventional echocardiography and its application to structural heart disease. Dr. Manian also works at McMaster University as an Adjunct Professor.   

Dr. Manian's presentation will discuss the importance of echocardiography for transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Participants will also learn when asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis warrants surgery, and how to grade the severity of discordant standard echo measurements.  

Morning Break

Echocardiography in Critical Care -- Evolution Through Collaboration 

Dr. Laura Dragoi, MD, MHSc, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto

Dr. Dragoi is a senior fellow with the Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care at the University of Toronto, Her main clinical and research interests include ethical aspects of intensive care and echocardiography in the ICU. She is a diplomat in Critical Care Echocardiography (NBE) and is currently pursuing the European Diploma in Advanced Critical Care Echocardiography (EDEC). In this presentation, Dr. Dragoi will discuss the role and implementation in echocardiography in the ICU and how it has changed over time. She will identify the challenges in performing echocardiography in the critical ill and the importance of collaboration and where it can lead us to in the future.

Lunch

Echo Assessment of Pericardial Diseases

Dr. Howard Leong-Poi, MD, FRCPC, FASE, FACC, FCCS, Cardiologist and Medical Director of the Heart, Lung and Vascular Program at St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto

Dr. Leong-Poi is a Cardiologist, and Medical Director of the Heart, Lung and Vascular Program at St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. He is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. His clinical interests include cardiac imaging, in particular echocardiography, and clinical cardiology with a focus on ischemic heart disease and valvular heart disease. His current research interests are ultrasound-targeted gene-based regenerative therapies for cardiovascular diseases. He serves on the editorial board of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology and is a past President of the Canadian Society of Echocardiography (CSE). In this presentation, Dr. Leong-Poi will review the approach to echocardiography for acute pericarditis, pericardial effusion and tamponade. Dr. Leong-Poi will also provide tips and tricks to evaluating complex pericardial cases. 

In The Trenches : Tips and Tricks for the Technically Difficult Study

Carly Burry, BKIN RDCS, Cardiac Sonographer, Manager of Diagnostic Imaging and Cardiac Investigations Unit

Carly Burry is a registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer from Truro, Nova Scotia currently working as the Manager of Diagnostic Imaging and Cardiac Investigations at the Colchester East Hants Health Centre. She holds her Bachelor of Kinesiology and obtained her Sonography training at Mohawk College. She also is on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Society of Echo as a Sonographer Representative. For Carly's presentation, the daily struggle with technically difficult studies will be covered extensively. New technological advancements, manipulation in machine settings, contrast use, patient- scanner teamwork and ergonomic changes will all be discussed in terms of how to make difficult studies easier on the patient and scanner.

3:00 pm

Closing Remarks