Houston Methodist Transplanting Hope The Intersection of Liver Transplantation and Alcohol Use Disorder 2026

Liver Transplantation and AUD: Transplanting Hope 2026

Liver Transplantation & Alcohol Use Disorder CME 2026 | Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease, Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis, AUD Treatment, Relapse Prevention, GLP-1 Therapy & Transplant Candidate Selection

The Houston Methodist Transplanting Hope: The Intersection of Liver Transplantation and Alcohol Use Disorder 2026 is a multidisciplinary educational program focused on one of the most challenging areas in contemporary hepatology and transplantation: caring for patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), alcohol-associated liver disease, acute alcoholic hepatitis, and advanced liver disease requiring transplantation.

Presented by Houston Methodist, this program explores the changing paradigm of liver transplantation in patients affected by alcohol use disorder and brings together perspectives from hepatology, transplant surgery, addiction medicine, behavioral health, social work, cardiology, nephrology, and multidisciplinary transplant care.

The course examines the biological effects of alcohol on the liver, the gut microbiome and addiction, appropriate selection of transplant candidates, psychosocial evaluation, relapse risk, post-transplant AUD management, medical therapy for addiction, emerging applications of GLP-1 receptor agonists, and evolving approaches to liver transplantation for acute alcoholic hepatitis.

The program also addresses complex practical and ethical questions surrounding transplantation, including the traditional six-month abstinence rule, absolute contraindications, multidisciplinary transplant review boards, community-based addiction treatment, and the impact of alcohol use disorder on heart and kidney transplantation.

Course Details

• Course: Transplanting Hope: The Intersection of Liver Transplantation and Alcohol Use Disorder
• Provider: Houston Methodist
• Date: March 20, 2026
• Format: In-Person and Virtual
• Location: Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas
• Primary Focus: Liver Transplantation, Alcohol Use Disorder, Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease and Addiction Medicine
• CME: Up to 6.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
• ABS MOC: 6.50
• Nursing Contact Hours: Up to 6.50
• Social Work CE: 6.50 contact hours
• Transplant Coordinator CE: 6.50 Category 1 CEPTCs

Target Audience

This program is designed for healthcare professionals involved in the assessment, treatment, transplantation, and long-term management of patients with alcohol use disorder and liver disease.

The target audience includes:

• Hepatologists
• Gastroenterologists
• Transplant Surgeons
• Addiction Medicine Specialists
• Psychiatrists
• Psychologists
• Internists
• Primary Care Physicians
• Cardiologists
• Heart Failure Specialists
• Nephrologists
• Transplant Nephrologists
• Medical Oncologists
• Critical Care Physicians
• Social Workers
• Transplant Coordinators
• Nurses
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Nutrition Professionals
• Residents and Fellows
• Allied Health Professionals involved in transplantation and addiction care

The program is also highly relevant for professionals interested in ethical transplant decision-making, psychosocial assessment, relapse prevention, multidisciplinary transplant management, and integrated addiction treatment.

Program Overview

Alcohol use disorder represents a major clinical challenge in patients with advanced liver disease.

The management of these patients extends beyond treating liver dysfunction alone. Effective care requires consideration of:

• Addiction severity
• Liver disease progression
• Psychosocial stability
• Relapse risk
• Family and social support
• Behavioral health
• Medical comorbidities
• Transplant candidacy
• Post-transplant addiction treatment
• Long-term graft and patient outcomes

The Transplanting Hope 2026 program examines these interconnected issues through a multidisciplinary framework.

A major focus is the evolving role of liver transplantation for patients with alcohol-associated liver disease and acute alcoholic hepatitis, including how transplant centers evaluate patients and how historic selection practices are changing.

The program also explores emerging science related to the gut-liver-brain axis, intestinal microbiome, metabolic liver disease, pharmacologic management of AUD, and potential roles for GLP-1 receptor agonists in addiction treatment.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Describe the pathophysiological mechanisms by which alcohol contributes to the development and progression of fatty liver disease, including its impact on lipid metabolism and inflammation.
• Explain the role of the intestinal microbiome in the etiology and maintenance of alcohol addiction, including how dysbiosis may influence gut-liver axis interactions and addiction pathways.
• Identify evidence-based criteria for selecting patients with alcohol use disorder as candidates for liver transplantation, including psychosocial, medical, and ethical considerations.
• Recognize key risk factors and characteristics associated with relapse in patients who have undergone liver transplantation for alcohol use disorder, such as behavioral patterns, genetic predispositions, and post-transplant support needs.
• Evaluate the overall impact of alcohol use disorder on liver transplantation outcomes and discuss strategies for multidisciplinary management, including prevention, monitoring, and integration of the program’s key topics into clinical practice.
• Evaluate emerging evidence on the role of GLP-1 agonists in the treatment of alcohol addiction, including their mechanisms of action, potential therapeutic applications, and implications for patients with alcohol use disorder undergoing liver transplantation.
• Recognize the role of liver transplantation in acute alcoholic hepatitis and the medical, surgical, and psychosocial evaluation required for optimal outcome and survival.

Official Program Topics

Plenary Session I

Emotional Intelligence and Managing a Transplant Program

Chuck Garcia, CEO

Explores how emotional intelligence, leadership, communication, and team dynamics can influence the management of complex transplant programs and multidisciplinary clinical teams.

Managing Individuals with AUD and Addiction

George Joseph, CEO

Addresses practical strategies for understanding and managing patients affected by alcohol use disorder and addiction.

Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis and Liver Transplantation

Gene Im, MD

Reviews the evolving role of liver transplantation for severe acute alcohol-associated hepatitis and the complex medical and psychosocial considerations involved in identifying appropriate candidates.

Plenary Session II

Managing a Transplant Medical Review Board

John Ontiveros, LCSW-S

Examines the multidisciplinary transplant selection process and the role of medical review boards in evaluating transplant candidates.

Effects of Alcohol on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)

David Victor, MD

Explores interactions between alcohol exposure and metabolic liver disease, including mechanisms contributing to steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and disease progression.

Intestinal Microbiome and Addiction

Eamonn Quigley, MD

Examines the relationship between the intestinal microbiome, alcohol use disorder, and the gut-liver-brain axis.

The session highlights how microbial dysbiosis may influence both liver injury and behavioral pathways associated with addiction.

Plenary Session III

Strategies to Reduce Alcohol Relapse After Transplant

Gerald Scott Winder, MD

Reviews factors associated with post-transplant alcohol relapse and strategies that may help identify high-risk patients and support sustained recovery after transplantation.

Outpatient Management of AUD Post Transplant

Kerry Ewens, LCSW-S

Focuses on continuing addiction treatment and psychosocial support following transplantation.

Topics include longitudinal monitoring, behavioral support, recovery planning, and coordination between transplant and addiction-care teams.

Role of Alcohol and Liver Cancer

Sudha Kodali, MD

Examines the relationship between alcohol-associated liver disease, chronic hepatic injury, cirrhosis, and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Absolute Contraindication to Liver Transplant

Kavish Patidar, DO

Reviews circumstances that may prevent transplantation and explores how medical, behavioral, psychosocial, and ethical considerations influence transplant eligibility.

Special Product Theatre

HepQuant DuO: Linking Liver Function and Portal-Systemic Shunting to Clinical Risk, Disease Progression and Treatment Response

Gregory T. Everson, MD, FACP, FAGA, FAASLD, FAST

Discusses quantitative assessment of liver function and portal-systemic shunting and their potential relationships with clinical risk and disease progression.

This session was listed separately by the provider as not certified for continuing education credit.

Plenary Session IV

Why Is There Reluctance to Drop the 6-Month Rule?

Victor Ankoma-Sey, MD

Examines the historical requirement for prolonged alcohol abstinence before liver transplantation and the clinical debate surrounding more individualized approaches to transplant selection.

Medical Management of AUD

Akhil Shenoy, MD

Reviews contemporary pharmacologic and clinical strategies for treating alcohol use disorder.

Role of GLP-1 Agents in Addiction

Archana Sadhu, MD

Explores emerging evidence regarding GLP-1 receptor agonists and addictive behavior, including their potential role in alcohol use disorder.

This is an evolving area of research with potential implications for patients affected by both metabolic disease and addiction.

Houston Methodist Experience

Ashton Connor, MD

Provides institutional experience and practical insights from Houston Methodist regarding the management and transplantation of patients affected by alcohol-associated liver disease.

Plenary Session V

Outpatient Community-Based Treatment of AUD

Kevin Johnson, LCDC

Discusses the role of community-based addiction programs in long-term treatment, relapse prevention, and continued recovery.

Heart Transplant and AUD

Ashrith Guha, MD

Examines alcohol use disorder in the context of advanced cardiac disease and heart transplantation.

Kidney Transplant and AUD

Peter Nguyen, MD

Reviews the implications of alcohol use disorder in patients undergoing evaluation for or management following kidney transplantation.

Plenary Session VI

Lightning Rounds: Tying It All Together With Case Studies

Faculty include:

• Gene Im, MD
• Gerald Scott Winder, MD
• Chuck Garcia
• Akhil Shenoy, MD
• R. Mark Ghobrial, MD
• John Ontiveros, LCSW-S

This concluding session integrates the major concepts from the symposium through clinical case discussions.

The multidisciplinary format highlights how hepatology, transplant surgery, addiction medicine, psychosocial assessment, and behavioral health considerations intersect in real-world transplant decision-making.

Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

Chronic and excessive alcohol exposure can cause a spectrum of liver injury ranging from steatosis to progressive inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Understanding these mechanisms is essential when assessing patients for transplantation because liver disease severity represents only one component of overall transplant candidacy.

Clinical evaluation also requires careful assessment of the underlying alcohol use disorder and the patient’s ability to engage in sustained treatment and recovery.

Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis and Liver Transplantation

Severe alcohol-associated hepatitis can result in rapidly progressive liver failure and high short-term mortality.

Historically, many transplant programs required a predefined period of abstinence before considering transplantation.

Modern transplant medicine increasingly recognizes that selected patients with severe disease may require individualized evaluation rather than relying exclusively on a fixed abstinence duration.

The symposium examines the medical, surgical, behavioral, and psychosocial factors involved in these decisions.

The Six-Month Abstinence Rule

One of the major debates in alcohol-associated liver transplantation is the traditional six-month abstinence rule.

The symposium addresses why clinicians and transplant programs may be reluctant to completely abandon this approach while also considering evidence supporting more individualized candidate assessment.

Important considerations include:

• Severity of liver disease
• Previous treatment attempts
• Pattern and duration of alcohol use
• Relapse risk
• Behavioral health
• Social support
• Treatment engagement
• Insight into addiction
• Medical urgency
• Post-transplant monitoring resources

Selecting Candidates for Liver Transplantation

Selecting patients with alcohol use disorder for transplantation requires an individualized multidisciplinary evaluation.

Important factors may include:

• Medical urgency
• Liver disease severity
• Surgical suitability
• Addiction history
• Previous periods of abstinence
• Previous relapse
• Psychiatric comorbidity
• Social stability
• Family support
• Treatment engagement
• Understanding of AUD
• Ability to follow post-transplant care
• Likelihood of sustained recovery

The decision is therefore rarely based on a single measurement or criterion.

Alcohol Relapse After Liver Transplantation

Preventing harmful alcohol relapse remains a major component of post-transplant management.

Risk assessment may consider:

• Previous relapse patterns
• Severity of alcohol dependence
• Psychiatric disease
• Polysubstance use
• Treatment adherence
• Social environment
• Recovery support
• Participation in addiction treatment

Long-term management may involve collaboration among hepatologists, addiction specialists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, transplant coordinators, and primary care professionals.

Medical Management of Alcohol Use Disorder

Treatment of AUD can involve a combination of:

• Behavioral interventions
• Psychotherapy
• Addiction counseling
• Community-based recovery programs
• Pharmacotherapy
• Social support
• Structured follow-up
• Relapse monitoring

Patients with advanced liver disease require particular attention because hepatic dysfunction may influence medication selection and treatment strategy.

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Alcohol Addiction

One of the emerging topics highlighted in the 2026 symposium is the possible role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in alcohol addiction.

These medications are best established in diabetes and obesity treatment, but researchers are investigating their potential influence on reward signaling, craving, and substance-use behaviors.

The symposium evaluates this developing evidence while considering potential future applications for patients with alcohol use disorder.

Intestinal Microbiome and the Gut-Liver-Brain Axis

The intestinal microbiome has become an increasingly important area of investigation in both liver disease and addiction research.

Alcohol can alter intestinal microbial composition and intestinal barrier function.

These changes may contribute to:

• Systemic inflammation
• Liver inflammation
• Metabolic dysfunction
• Gut-liver signaling
• Neurobehavioral pathways
• Addiction-related mechanisms

Understanding the gut-liver-brain axis may eventually contribute to new approaches to AUD and alcohol-associated liver disease.

Alcohol, MASLD and Metabolic Liver Disease

Alcohol use and metabolic dysfunction may coexist in the same patient.

Obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and alcohol exposure can interact to increase liver injury.

The program therefore examines the effect of alcohol in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Alcohol and Liver Cancer

Chronic alcohol-related liver injury can contribute to fibrosis and cirrhosis, which may increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The symposium examines alcohol and liver cancer within the broader continuum of chronic liver disease and transplantation.

Psychosocial Evaluation

Psychosocial assessment is a central component of transplantation for patients with AUD.

Evaluation may include:

• Addiction history
• Psychiatric history
• Insight
• Motivation
• Treatment participation
• Previous relapse
• Social support
• Living environment
• Adherence history
• Family involvement
• Access to ongoing addiction treatment

The goal is not simply to determine whether alcohol was previously consumed but to understand the patient’s recovery trajectory and identify resources needed for long-term success.

Emotional Intelligence in Transplant Medicine

Successful transplantation depends on coordination among numerous professionals.

Emotional intelligence can influence:

• Leadership
• Communication
• Conflict resolution
• Team collaboration
• Patient communication
• Difficult transplant decisions
• Multidisciplinary case review

This perspective expands the program beyond purely medical management and recognizes the organizational complexity involved in transplant care.

Heart Transplantation and Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder can also influence advanced cardiovascular disease.

The program expands beyond liver transplantation to consider AUD in patients requiring heart transplantation, including the behavioral and multidisciplinary challenges encountered in transplant assessment and long-term management.

Kidney Transplantation and Alcohol Use Disorder

Patients undergoing kidney transplantation may also require assessment and management of substance use disorders.

The program discusses the implications of AUD for transplant evaluation, adherence, recovery support, and long-term care in kidney transplant recipients.

Major Topics Covered

• Alcohol Use Disorder
• Liver Transplantation
• Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
• Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis
• Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis
• Advanced Liver Disease
• Cirrhosis
• Liver Failure
• Transplant Candidate Selection
• Psychosocial Transplant Evaluation
• Transplant Medical Review Boards
• Six-Month Abstinence Rule
• AUD Relapse Prevention
• Post-Transplant Alcohol Relapse
• Addiction Medicine
• Medical Management of AUD
• Community-Based Addiction Treatment
• GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
• GLP-1 Agents and Addiction
• Intestinal Microbiome
• Gut-Liver Axis
• Gut-Liver-Brain Axis
• MASLD
• Alcohol and Metabolic Liver Disease
• Alcohol and Liver Cancer
• Hepatocellular Carcinoma
• Emotional Intelligence
• Multidisciplinary Transplant Care
• Heart Transplantation and AUD
• Kidney Transplantation and AUD
• Post-Transplant AUD Management
• Behavioral Health
• Transplant Ethics
• Liver Transplant Outcomes
• Clinical Case Studies

Featured Faculty

The official program includes multidisciplinary experts from hepatology, transplant medicine, addiction care, behavioral health, cardiology, nephrology, and social work, including:

• R. Mark Ghobrial, MD
• Joseph Galati, MD
• Gene Im, MD
• David Victor, MD
• Eamonn Quigley, MD
• Gerald Scott Winder, MD
• Kerry Ewens, LCSW-S
• Sudha Kodali, MD
• Kavish Patidar, DO
• Victor Ankoma-Sey, MD
• Akhil Shenoy, MD
• Archana Sadhu, MD
• Ashton Connor, MD
• Kevin Johnson, LCDC
• Ashrith Guha, MD
• Peter Nguyen, MD
• John Ontiveros, LCSW-S
• Chuck Garcia
• George Joseph
• Gregory T. Everson, MD, FACP, FAGA, FAASLD, FAST

Why This Course Is Relevant

The relationship between alcohol use disorder and liver transplantation has changed substantially.

Historically, transplant decisions were often strongly influenced by fixed abstinence requirements. Modern practice increasingly incorporates more comprehensive evaluation of:

• Disease severity
• Addiction history
• Behavioral risk
• Treatment engagement
• Relapse probability
• Social support
• Medical urgency
• Psychosocial stability

At the same time, advances in addiction medicine and transplant outcomes have created new opportunities for selected patients with severe alcohol-associated liver disease.

The Houston Methodist Transplanting Hope 2026 program is especially relevant because it combines transplantation, hepatology, addiction medicine, behavioral health, psychosocial assessment, emerging pharmacotherapy, and real-world multidisciplinary decision-making within a single educational program.

Short Description

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Houston Methodist Transplanting Hope: The Intersection of Liver Transplantation and Alcohol Use Disorder 2026 provides a multidisciplinary update on alcohol-associated liver disease, acute alcoholic hepatitis, liver transplantation, AUD treatment, relapse prevention, psychosocial transplant evaluation, the six-month abstinence rule, gut microbiome, GLP-1 therapy, and post-transplant addiction management. The program features expert presentations and case discussions from specialists in hepatology, transplantation, addiction medicine, behavioral health, cardiology, nephrology, and social work.