CACB Board Report
Submitted by Valerie Olteanu
The CACB Spring Board Meeting was held in Halifax, NS, on May 3, 2026. The following is a summary of the discussion.
Report from the CACB Chair – Dr. Dana Nyholt
Regulation of the Profession and Advocacy Subcommittee updates
The Committee held a meeting in December 2025. A public-facing version of the clinical biochemist position description is in progress.
Ongoing activities
- The Chair thanked Dr. Daniel Beriault, CACB vice chair, for his ongoing support.
- The CACB-OCQ spring meeting is set for Spring 2026 to strengthen collaboration and harmonization efforts.
- All Chairs will be reviewing the terms of reference for their portfolios this year.
Report from the Secretary – Dr. Kun-Young Sohn
The Board approved to accept one new Fellow and approved transfer of one Fellow to Emeritus Fellow. As of April 28, 2026, a total of 233 Fellows were registered (4 Founding Fellows, 65 Emeritus Fellows and 164 Fellows).
Report from the Treasurer – Dr. Saranya Arnoldo
The Treasurer reported that CACB’s financial position remains the same.
Report from the Maintenance of Competence Committee – Dr. Ihssan Bouhtiauy
Membership
The MOC Committee has recruited a new bilingual (English/French) committee member, Dr. Elie Kostantin.
Accreditation
In 2026 to date, the MOC committee has accredited the following educational activities:
- Alberta Society for Human Toxicology (ASHT) AGM, March 6-7
- CSCC 2026 Annual Conference, May 3-6
- 46e Session de formation continue de l’Association des biochimistes du Quebec (ABCQ), May 13-15, 2026
PD Program
The MOC Committee is reviewing the PD categories with a view to clarifying category definitions and to better define the documentation required for category support. Changes will be instigated for 2027, and the Chair will communicate these to the CACB Fellows prior to this.
Report from the Training Program Accreditation Committee – Dr. Vilte Barakauskas
Announcements
In place of Dr. Rose Djiana, Dr. Marie-Hélène Levesque has joined TPAC as the OCQ representative. Two TPAC member at large positions have been filled, with terms to commence in June: Dr. Josko Ivica and Dr. Barry Kyle.
Accreditation of Training Programs
The University of Manitoba Clinical Biochemistry Post-Doctoral Residency Program has been granted a renewal of accreditation for five years from January 2026 to January 2031.
Syllabus Review
The finalized and approved version of the updated Syllabus is being typeset for distribution. The first certification exams with the updated syllabus will be scheduled for Fall 2028.
Accreditation Standards
The Board has approved TPAC to commence a project to formalize and restructure accreditation standards for training programs. In the interests of impartiality, a non-training program director, Dr. Josh Raizman, has been appointed as the Chair of this project, and he will shortly begin to assemble a small, focused subcommittee.
Report from the Credentials Committee – Dr. Marie-Hélène Levesque
Certification Applications (since June 2025)
Five certification applications were received and approved:
Fellowship Applications (since June 2025)
Nine Fellowship applications were received; eight were approved.
Remedial Training Applications
One application was submitted and approved.
Report from the Certification Committee – Dr. Felix Leung
CACB Oral Exam
The CACB Oral Exam was held in person from May 1-3, 2026, at the annual conference in Halifax, NS. Eight candidates participated, with five passing. The examiners trialed using tablets for the exam materials and examiner marking, and the process went very smoothly. The Certification Committee would like to transition the oral exams to be as paperless as possible.
CACB Written Exam
The Certification Committee is finalizing multiple-choice questions for a November 2026 launch in collaboration with OCQ.
Certification Fees
Certification Fees have not increased for 15 years. To align CACB with other laboratory medicine professional societies as well as closing the gap between applicant fees and current operating costs, the Board has approved an increase to Certification fees to be applied beginning with this 2026-2027 cycle. The website will be updated and current trainees notified of the change.
CACB Exam Committee
The Certification Committee holds monthly meetings to develop oral and written exams.
Report from the Nominations and Awards Committee – Dr. Daniel Beriault
CACB Board Membership
- Daniel Beriault will continue on the Board for a second term, 2026-2029
- Kun-Young Sohn steps down from the Board after this May meeting. Many thanks to Dr. Sohn for his hard work and input to the Board
- The CACB Board has approved Dr. Saranya Arnoldo to join the Board as the newest member (positions on the Board will be decided at the first meeting after the conference)
CACB award for Outstanding Service to the Profession of Clinical Biochemistry
Congratulations to Dr. Allison Venner, recipient of the 2026 Award.
Fellows are invited to put forward nominations for the 2027 Award – see the website for details on how to submit – CACB Awards | CSCC
Report from the Chair of the Code of Ethics Document Task Force – Dr. Isolde Seiden Long
The Chair is looking for members to join this committee. Those interested should email CACB Head Office – info@cscc-sccc.ca