I joined the ANZCA Council in 2012 and became ANZCA president in May 2020. I have held positions including chair of the Training Accreditation Committee, chair of the Perioperative Medicine Steering Committee, ANZCA Council representative on the FPM Board, founding chair of the Anaesthetists and Leadership Special Interest Group, and an examiner for the final exams.
Originally from South Africa, where I completed my training, I emigrated to New Zealand in 1993. At the time, I could not have imagined all the professional opportunities, friendships and deep satisfaction that have come from my increasing involvement in ANZCA. Seeing the level at which my colleagues practiced anaesthesia as a result of their training education and skills I immediately decided to stay and contribute as best I could.
Today, I am a specialist anaesthetist working in Auckland where my main area of interest is liver transplantation. I have just stepped down as director of Perioperative Services at Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand to focus on the ANZCA presidency.
In my work within perioperative medicine, I have seen firsthand the profound impact of compassionate, co-ordinated, patient-centred care. The perioperative period is a critical time – For us it’s just another procedure, but for the human beings who place their trust in our hands it’s life changing. By working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, I believe we can optimise outcomes and ensure that every individual is cared for as a whole person. In perioperative medicine, we have the power to make a lasting difference, and it’s a privilege to be part of that change.
Find out more about perioperative medicine
The Chapter of Perioperative Medicine has key strategic objectives to promote research, enhance professional development and oversee the quality of the perioperative medicine certification, whilst also fostering cross-specialty collaboration.
The Chapter of Perioperative Medicine Board reports to the ANZCA Council on developing and implementing an integrated perioperative care model and educational offerings for Australia and New Zealand, focusing on professional practice, clinical quality, and patient safety.
The ANZCA Course in Perioperative Medicine enables specialist doctors enhance their skills and knowledge in perioperative medicine.
The Perioperative Care Framework was developed by the Perioperative Care Working Group approved by ANZCA Council in December 2021, and updated in December 2023.
Perioperative medicine emphasises the importance of an integrated, planned, and personalised approach to patient care before, during, and after any surgical procedure involving anaesthesia. The goal is to improve the patient experience and outcomes, lower the occurrence of postoperative issues, decrease the number of days spent in the hospital, and minimize readmissions after surgery. We call this approach a "perioperative care model".