Regional wrap – September 2024

Canberra Hospital Expansion

The new Critical Services Building (Building 5) at Canberra Hospital is now open. Transition to Building 5 commenced mid-August and is now fully operational. New facilities and services offered in Building 5 include a larger Emergency Department, including a dedicated children’s emergency area, more operating rooms equipped with cutting edge technology, more treatment spaces, and more intensive care beds. For a full list of new features available across the Canberra Hospital campus please visit this website

ACT New Fellow Representative
We warmly welcome Dr Cameron Maxwell to the ACT Regional Committee as the New Fellow Representative for 2024-2026.

ACT Trainee Committee news
The ACT Trainee Committee meeting met on Tuesday 27 August 2024. Please note that an email address has been established for communication with the Trainee Committee and the ANZCA ACT Office.  This email address is monitored Mon to Wed each week by the Regional Coordinator. Any feedback or ideas are encouraged to be communicated to: [email protected]

Out of the [operating] box anaesthetics
Please join us on Tuesday 12 November for an evening of presentations by three of our local best! You'll hear from Dr Derek Potgieter, Dr Sarah Latham and Dr Vaughn Oerder as they recount their out-of-the-box anaesthesia experiences both internationally and locally.
Online registration can be found here.

Art of Anaesthesia CME
This year the meeting is a single day CPD-based event, designed to provide delegates access to the full range of ANZCA CPD requirements. On offer are three keynote presentations from valued interstate presenters (Category 2 CPD), a clinical audit and an M&M session (Category 1 CPD), and four workshops encompassing Major Haemorrhage, Can’t Intubate Can’t Oxygenate (CICO), Anaphylaxis Management and regional ultrasound (Category 3 CPD). Please join us on Saturday 23 November at the National Convention Centre for this exciting meeting.


Online registration can be found here.

Events

• 9 and 10 November 2024 – NSW ACE Spring Meeting, Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
• 23 November – NSW ACE Anatomy Workshop, University of Sydney Anatomy Labs

Courses

• 23 September to 7 October 2024 - NSW Primary practice viva nights
• 30 September to 18 October 2024 - NSW Final practice viva nights
• 26 October 2024 - Introduction to Anaesthesia
• 25 to 29 November 2024 - NSW Primary exam refresher course
• 2-6 December 2024 - New South Wales Final exam refresher course 2024

It is that time of the year again with Queensland Anaesthetic Rotational Training Scheme (QARTS) interviews for the 2025 hospital year having taken place from Monday 29 July to Friday 2 August 2024. What a mad hatter week it was!
We are so grateful to the many people who have been involved in this mammoth process. Sincerest thanks are extended to the ANZCA Queensland team, the Regional Team, regional staff across various departments, as well as to our fabulous QARTS interview coordinators and interviewers (ANZCA Fellows), who donated their time voluntarily and without which, this could not have been successfully undertaken.
Due to staff changes this year i.e., departures, emergence of new employees, and the ever-present winter woes making their rounds, there was a strong ANZCA team presence from some of the regions, assisting the Queensland office. Every year, there is always much planning and preparation involved in the roll-out of the interviews. There are many hands that come together to ensure the process runs as seamlessly as possible. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and the world rapidly moving to remote working, and later, hybrid working, it was decided that the QARTS interviews would remain a virtual online process, as it is more accessible for those candidates who live remotely or in the regions, requiring time away from an already overloaded hospital system, to attend in-person at Brisbane.
From an impressive total of 400 applications, 150 were short-listed to attend interviews. From those, 50 placements will be awarded to the successful candidates, with the remainder placed in a reserve pool for those ‘just in case’ times.

The last meeting for the Directors of Anaesthesia (DoA) chaired by Dr Anthony Lentz was recently held on Friday 23 August at Cliftons Brisbane. This was attended by 26 Directors across Queensland based hospitals in which was then followed by the QARTS Selection meeting chaired by Dr Dale Kerr. Approximately 35 in attendance and 12 online. We would like to thank Dr Anthony Lentz, Dr Dale Kerr and all the committee members for running these successful meetings at Clifton Brisbane. The feedback was well received from in person and virtual attendees.  


Dr Dale Kerr presenting at QARTS Selection meeting at Clifton.


Dr Anthony Lentz presenting at Directors of Anaesthesia meeting at Clifton.

The second part of the final exam refresher course was held from 15 to 19 July at the QLD regional office with 26 trainees in attendance. This short course would not be made possible without the outstanding support, dedication and help from the 17 presenters including our convenor Dr Stuart Blain. Our deepest gratitude to all who came and supported us especially to our sponsors Tony and Steve from Avant! The feedback was well received by all candidates. The Final exam refresher course was also the last event for Dr Stuart Blain who has warmly embraced the role and generously dedicated his time to present and prepare for the courses the past 7+ years. The team in QLD are extremely grateful and appreciate everything he has done for us throughout the years, and we wish him all the success in his future endeavours.


Trainees during Mock SAQ practice on QLD FERC.


Dr Stuart Blain presenting for the last time as the Course convenor.

Representatives Tony and Steve from Avant (sponsor) presenting.

Upcoming courses

• Queensland primary practice viva: 11 September - 11 October 2024. A series of two free mock viva sessions designed to help trainees prepare for the ANZCA primary exam viva. 
• Queensland final practice viva: 2 and 23 October 2024. This course has been specifically designed to give trainees the chance to experience the oral exam process and receive feedback and suggestions for improvement from mock examiners.
• Queensland primary exam refresher course 2: 18-22 November 2024. The aim of the course is not necessarily for trainees to gain more knowledge. It is to help guide trainees devise strategies on how to acquire and integrate knowledge such that they can more successfully translate it into marks in the SAQ portion of the primary exam
• Queensland primary viva weekend course 2: 5-6 October 2024. This course has been specifically designed to give candidates the chance to experience the viva exam process and receive feedback and suggestions for improvement from mock examiners.

Upcoming CME events

• ​Queensland ACE October evening meeting, 17 October 2024. To celebrate the new ANZCA and FPM CPD Program, we warmly invite you to hear from three Queensland provisional fellows who will present a complex case they have encountered during their fellowship. We also encourage attendees to bring along their own case for small-group discussion. We hope this provides an opportunity to reflect on our current practice, catch up with colleagues over a light supper and refreshments and earn some practice evaluation CPD points.

More upcoming events

• ANZCA Educators Program: Gold Coast: 24-25 October 2024. The ANZCA Educators Program (AEP) aims to equip clinicians with the skills and knowledge to enable effective learning.
• ANZCA Educators Program: Zoom (November): 11-12 November 2024. The ANZCA Educators Program (AEP) aims to equip clinicians with the skills and knowledge to enable effective learning.

The 2024 SA/NT Trainee Dinner on the 22nd of June was a spectacular evening with 37 trainees attending. Trainees were treated to a highly relevant talk on managing the balance between work and family by Dr Fiona Taverner. It was an excellent opportunity to reflect on the year so far with fellow trainees from all sites across South Australia. We thank our sponsors for their involvement with the evening.

 
Bree Martin and Donald Shivakkumar

   
Left: Arvind Jothin, Hamza Baig, James Turnbull, Medel Au. Right: Fiona Tavener (presenter), Krushna Patel, Lara Schemeczko, Jessica Dalwood.

 
Left: Nikki Sladojevic, Millie Jordan, Evelyn Timpani. Right: Matthew Pitkin, Arvind Jothin, Evelyn Timpani, Eleanor Cheah.

The NT trainees held their first official annual trainee dinner, aligning it with the SA trainee dinner. This event also served as a farewell gathering for the SA SANTRATS trainees who were completing their six-month rotation at Royal Darwin Hospital. The anaesthetic trainees in the department include independent trainees as well as those from the SA and QLD rotational schemes. Many thanks to SA/NT Trainee Committee members Josh Tobin and Sam Grace for organising the event.

The SA June ACE meeting, “Comfortably numb – opioids, MATOD and anaesthesia” was held in North Adelaide on a rainy Wednesday evening, 19 June.

Despite the inclement weather, 46 consultants and trainees turned out to hear presenter Dr Kate Senior, an Addiction Medicine Specialist talked about patterns of opioid use in South Australia, ways to enhance safe prescribing in the perioperative setting, an overview of Medication Assisted Treatment of Opioid Dependence, and perioperative pain management considerations for clients on MATOD.


Dr Kate Senior, Dr Nick Harrington, Dr Ingo Weber

We are pleased to welcome Dr Irina Hollington as the chair of the SA/NT FPM Regional Committee. It has been a busy year for Dr Hollington, who has also taken on new roles on the FPM Board and as head of the Central Adelaide’s Local Health Network (CALHN) Pain Unit. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to Dr Michelle Harris for her fabulous contribution over the past four years as chair of the committee. She will continue as an elected member on the committee, as well as a primary examiner for ANZCA exams.

 
Dr Michelle Harris and Dr Irina Hollington

This CME provided an update on the private pain sector in SA. This followed on from an earlier meeting in the year that looked at the public sector. Our speakers shared their experiences and insights on providing pain services in various private practice settings, which also included rural, occupational, and Aboriginal health. Topics covered included access and waiting times, staffing, research, funding, and challenges. Thank you to all our speakers: Dr Dilip Kapur (Dean), Dr. Matt Green, Dr Tuan Vo, Dr Hima Venugopal Dr Graham Wright, and Dr Philip Cornish.

 
Dr Tim Semple, Dr Hima Venugopal, Dr Dilip Kapur and Dr Tuan Vo, Dr Jonathan Newchurch, Dr Kin Lau

The mid-year IAT was held on Saturday 24 August. It was a small cohort, allowing new trainees to get to know each other as well as being introduced to the presenting consultants who gave insights into many aspects of training. Thank you to SA/NT Trainee Committee members Lara Schemeczko and Sam Paull for running the day.


Krushna Patel (session presenter) with Sam Paull (convenor), Hao Zhang, Mia Corbett, Fergus Lynch, Jack Loftus and Lara Schemeczko (convenor).

Registrations are now open the SA Burnell-Jose ACE Conference which will be held on 19/20 October 2024 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Our international speakers include Dr Julian Thompson, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine, Southmead Hospital Bristol and Dr Fahad Alam, Medical and Research Director, Simulation, Sunnybrook Canadian Simulation Centre.
On Saturday morning there will be an opportunity to choose from a variety of workshops which will be held onsite at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Our social activities also include a conference dinner on the Saturday night.

Events
Burnell-Jose ACE Conference - 19/20 October, Adelaide Convention Centre

Courses
SA/NT part one long course, February - December 2024
SA/NT part two long course, February - December 2024

The July Regional Committee meeting was attended personally by ANZCA CEO, Mr Nigel Fidgeon who provided in depth updates on issues affecting our anaesthetic workforce.
The most recent Committee meeting was held on the 29 August via zoom and personally at the Tasmanian Office.
The next Tasmania Regional Committee Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 17 October 2024 at 7pm.

The Tasmanian Trainee Committee meeting met on Wednesday 28 August 2024 via zoom.    
Please note that an email address has been established for communication with the Trainee Committee and the ANZCA Tasmania Office. This email address is monitored Wed to Fri each week by the Regional Coordinator.
Any feedback or ideas are encouraged to be communicated to: [email protected].

Supervisors of Training travelled from around the State to meet at the Tasmania Office on Wednesday 24 July 2024 for a meeting and workshop.  Dr Maggie Wong (Director of Professional Affairs - Assessor) provided a DPA update and information on various related topics including RPL and exams.


Kristi Mungure – ANZCA Learning & Development Facilitator, Education& Research, completed an afternoon workshop with the attending SOT’s.

Interviews for the Tasmania Anaesthesia Training Program (TATP) were completed at the Tasmanian ANZCA Office on 26 and 27 August 2024.
 
Anaesthetic consultants from the North West Regional Hospital and Launceston General Hospital travelled to Hobart to join Royal Hobart Hospital consultants and administration staff to complete the interview processes.

Tasmanian Anaesthetic Simulation Education and Training Network (TASETN)

When: Tuesday, 30 July 2025
What: Faculty Development Workshop
Who: Royal Hobart Hospital Anaesthetic Simulation Faculty
Where: ANZCA Hobart Office

As part of our FATES funded, TASETN project, Monash University’s Professor Debra Nestel, along with our TASETN Clinical Project Lead, Dr Lia Freestone, and Royal Hobart Hospital Simulation Lead, Dr Harry Laughlin recently lead our latest Faculty Development Workshop at the ANZCA Hobart Office. This followed the Faculty Development Workshop held in Launceston in April this year for Launceston General Hospital and North West Regional Hospital staff. Participants had the opportunity to share their experiences in a highly participatory session, demonstrating their knowledge of NHET-Sim program learning activities through participation in experiential activities, focusing on the NHET-Sim C2 (Becoming a simulation educator) and S9 (Debriefing in simulation) modules.

‘Hot topics’ in healthcare simulation education were discussed, along with valuable resources to further develop simulation educator expertise. Professor Nestel tapped into participants’ experiences of teaching and learning in simulation, exploring key concepts, such as fostering psychological safety through scenario design, briefing, observation, and debriefing. Multi-disciplinary participants were able to delve into roles in simulation, identify learners, learning objectives, context of simulation, scenario development and different models of feedback and debriefing.
 
As a result of the two workshops, we have been able to train 21 additional educators across the state, increasing capacity within Tasmania’s anaesthetic workforce and leading to greater patient outcomes.

The Tasmania ANZCA Office has obtained 6 photographs which are now displayed throughout the office. These images have been captured by talented local Tasmanian Anaesthetist Dr Roger Wong.
These images reflect various Lutruwita/Tasmania regions which include:

• Luynikami/West Arthur Range+Eastern Arthur Range;
• Liyawulina/Lake St Clair - Cradle Mountain National Park; and
• Larapuna/Eddystone Point - Bay of Fires conservation area.

‘In palawa kani, the language of Tasmanian Aborigines’.
Credit:  Dr Roger Wong – FANZCA


Artwork at meeting room at ANZCA Tasmania Regional Office


Artwork at training room at ANZCA Tasmania Regional Office

2025 Introduction to Anaesthesia
Tasmania Introduction to Anaesthesia course which is scheduled for Saturday 15 February 2025 in Launceston.  Further information to be provided in the next Regional Wrap and via the ANZCA website

2025 Tasmania Winter CME Meeting
Saturday 23 August at Josef Chromy Vineyard, Relbia in the Tamar Valley near Launceston.
Further details in relation to event theme, guest speakers and program to be advised in the next Regional Wrap.

2025 Trainee Day
Due to ASURA being held in Hobart during March 2025, the traditional Tasmanian Trainee Day will take on a different format.
Please save the date of Friday 22 August 2025. In keeping with previous Trainee Days, we will be hosting the 2025 event around the 2025 Winter CME Meeting. Further information will be advised at a later date.

• Primary and Final VIVA Practice evenings – September & October
• VRC FPM Medico Legal Meeting - Tuesday 1 October
• Supervisors of Training meeting – Tuesday 22 October
• Victorian Registrars Scientific Meeting/trainee Day – Friday 15 November
• Primary Refresher Course – Monday 18 to Friday 29 November

Please contact the VRC secretariat should you have any queries and/or to express interest in attending our courses/events.

Email: [email protected]
Ph: (03) 8517 5313

Acute Severe Behavioural Disturbance (ASBD) Workshop
The Perth Office was proud to host the first ASBD Workshop in WA on 1 August. The workshop was the fifth instalment of the 2024 ACE WA lecture series and Ms Roberts organised this workshop in response to demand from the FPM community.
The workshop was facilitated by Dr Scott Teasdale and Dr Tor Ercleve, who, through an engaging face-to-face workshop, provided theoretical insight and discussed case studies with the 25 attendees.


Dr Scott Teasdale and Dr Tor Ercleve

Hocus POCUS - Gastric and Neuroaxial POCUS Workshop
The WA Office supported the Gastric and Neuroaxial POCUS Workshop on 21 August at 6.30pm.

One of the reasons the WA office and the ACE committee developed the evening lecture and workshop series is to allow the ability to respond to emerging needs of our fellows and trainees. 

Given the recent increasing use of GLP-1 inhibitors and incidence of obesity in WA – we felt it was the perfect time to provide a workshop on gastric and neuroaxial ultra-sound.
After kicking off the evening with excellent food and drinks (except for ‘fasted’ volunteers who got to eat later!), we commenced the 2 hour workshop. With a full house at twenty participants, four stations, fifteen faculty members and volunteer models, four ultrasounds and infinite enthusiasm  - our participants had plenty of opportunities for hands-on scanning and in depth discussions. 
 

Dr Charlie Ho welcoming the delegates.

  

Left: Dr Paul Kwei navigating the abdomen.
Middle: Mr Simon Ferrero demonstrating the ultrasound machine.
Right: Dr Chris Mitchell explaining neuroaxial access. 


With thanks to: Alex Davies, Scott Aaronson, Stephen Cipriani, Matt Doyle, Simon Ferrero, Mike Gibbons, Ineke Krom, Chris Mitchell, Mike O’Hara, Melanie Roberts, Lisana Rodriguez, Archana Shrivathsa, Kaivalya KV Vadaje, Kiran Venkatesulu and many others who made this evening possible.

In Western Australia, the WA Rotational Anaesthesia Training Program (RATP) undertakes its annual trainee selection process in late August each year.
Approximately 150 candidates applied to the WA RATP Selection Process. From their written submission, between 40 and 45 candidates are shortlisted and invited to progress to the next stage of the process.
 
From 26 to 28 August, candidates attended in person for their selection day, where a range of selection modalities are used to assess different aspects of the selection criteria. A combination of face-to-face interviews, a presentation and two simulation stations allow candidates to demonstrate their skills and their strengths in multiple ways. 
 
Results from the written submission, the interview, the presentation and the simulations all form part of the final selection scoring, with between 10 and 20 candidates successfully appointed to the WA RATP each year.

WA RATP Trainee Selections organisers, Dr Angela Palumbo, Dr Anna Hayward, Dr Rebecca Kelly and Dr Nikki Harmey.
 
This process uses numerous Consultant Anaesthetists and Simulation Fellows each year. Our thanks go to all the individuals as well as the Departments who support the process each year.

On 11 and 12 September, the ANZCA Educators Program took place in Perth. This interactive five module course, delivered over 1.5 days, is designed to equip anaesthetists and faculty of pain medicine specialists with the knowledge and skills to be competent clinical teachers.
The facilitators in Perth included Dr Nirooshan Rooban, Dr David Law,Dr Emelyn Lee, Dr Belinda Rowe and Dr Claire McTernan.


Upcoming AEP courses include:

• 24-25 October, ANZCA Educators Program: Gold Coast
• 11-12 November, ANZCA Educators Program: Zoom

On Monday 2 September, the WA Education Officer, Dr Alan Ch'ng, chaired the annual EO HoD planning meeting. The EO took the opportunity to extend his gratitude to his predecessor, Dr Jay Bruce, for her support over more than 12 years to WA Trainees and Supervisors of Training.

Back: Dr Tamsyn Williams (DEO), Dr Alan Ch'ng (EO), Dr Annie Carlton (DEO), Dr Angela Palumbo, Dr Damien Wallman, Dr Wim Smithies, Dr Jay Bruce, Dr Barbara Biki.
Front: Dr Raj Patula, Dr Tanya Farrell, Dr Anna Hayward, Dr Bruce Hullett, Dr Xiao Liang (RO), Dr Matt Rucklidge.

The WA ACE Lecture Series is now well underway, the next events are available for registration via the  website:
 
Nerida Dilworth Research Evening
17 September 2024 – ANZCA Office
Face-to-face event with online access also available.
Registration available here
 
Anaesthetic Morbidity and Mortality Workshop
Facilitated by Dr Bridget Hogan
16 October 2024 – ANZCA Office
Face-to-face event with online access also available.
Registration available here
 
FPM Morbidity and Mortality Workshop
Facilitated by Dr David Holthouse (FPM WA Chair)
5 November 2024 – ANZCA Office
Face-to-face event with online access also available.
Registration available here
 
The ACE WA committee are looking for new members, if you have an interest in education and would like to assist in developing CPD opportunities for the WA anaesthetic community, please get in touch.
 
If you have any queries, please contact [email protected].

The ACE WA Committee and King Edward Memorial Hospital are pleased to introduce the 2024 ACE WA Country Conference at the Pullman Resort in Bunker Bay from 15 to 17 November 2024. The theme this year is “Contemplation – Learning from experience in obstetrics”.

The keynote speakers are Professor Victoria Eley and Dr Matt Rucklidge, who will be joined by a range of presenters sharing their insights and knowledge on the topics Neurological morbidity and mortality and obstetric haemorrhage. Morbidity and Mortality, Major Haemorrhage, CICO and ALS workshops fill out the remainder of the program, with a varied offering in social engagements.
 
Registrations are fully subscribed, please contact us to be added to the waitlist.

The WA Final Exam Preparation Course provides access to evening tutorials for up to 12 months prior to your exam. Interactive, small group discussions about a wide range of topics are facilitated by specialists.
Registrations are now available online for the following sittings:

• WA Final Exam Preparation Course - First Sitting 2025
• ​WA Final Exam Preparation Course - Second Sitting 2025

For any questions, please contact Ineke Krom, ANZCA WA Administrative Officer.