I was on the POM Steering Committee for about four years before joining the newly formed Chapter of Perioperative Medicine Board. My passion for this stems from a commitment to see the perioperative space be safer and better for all who pass through it. Tragically in 2012 I lost my 15-year-old son Matt, following a simple appendectomy that went terribly wrong, and I have fought for safer health care ever since. I strongly believe that healthcare can be better, and that the new POM course is an integral part of a future where patients are heard with a collaborative view towards ensuring the safest treatment for the best outcome.
I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years, and presently work as a District Nurse for Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough in New Zealand. My background also includes time on the Nursing Council Board, and I’m presently a member of the National Collaborative for Health Care. I’ve presented “Matt’s Story” at over 200 hospitals and Nursing Schools in NZ and Australia, supported by Accident Compensation Corporation as a part of their Deteriorating Patient Programme and the Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand. I also hold micro credentials for Restorative Responses in Health Care.
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".