30 October 2020Some highlights: New NZSA President | NZSA 2020 Conference | NZSA stakeholder function | NZSA AGM highlights | New Pacific initiative PACT | NZSA private practice resource | Mandating to end DHB climate pollution | webAIRS news | Events New NZSA President Dr Sheila HartDr Hart's first Presidential blog will be published in the next E-Zine. Congratulations to Dr Sheila Hart who was elected as the new NZSA President at the Society's Annual General Meeting on 16 October. Dr Hart thanked Dr Kathryn Hagen for her outstanding work as President and said she intended to continue building on the NZSA's steady rise in membership and strong support for anaesthetists throughout NZ. Dr Hart is also the co-convenor of the ASA/NZSA 2022 Combined Scientific Congress. NZSA 2020 conferenceThe NZSA's 2020 conference Emerge, Reflect and Reconnect was a hit with attendees and we appreciated the many positive comments (in person and via social media). The conference certainly lived up to its name - an engaging and stimulating program to encourage delegates to reflect on what it means to be an anaesthetist in 2020 and beyond, and the rare opportunity in such an uncertain year to reconnect with colleagues in person. And what auspicious dates for holding a conference - it coincided with a number of events including World Anaesthesia Day, National Anaesthesia Day, Pink Shirt Day (anti-bullying), World Start a Heart Day and our long-awaited General Election. Thank you to our Organising Committee (Drs David Kibblewhite, Morgan Edwards, Renee Franklin and Michael Ng) for all your hard work in turning around a conference in just four months. Your commitment to delivering such a superlative program and social events was certainly appreciated. Thank you also to those who contributed to our conference - especially our conference speakers and those who led or assisted in running our pre-conference workshops. Also a tremendous thank you to our PCO, Conference Innovators who were so professional and enthusiastic. NZSA biennial stakeholder functionFrom left: TAS Director of Workforce Services Alison Plumridge, NZSA CEO Renu Borst, NZATS Chair Kirstin Fraser From left: Medicines NZ CEO Graeme Jarvis, NZ Orthopaedic Association CEO Andrea Pettett, and Pharmacy Guild CEO Andrew Gaudin The NZSA’s biennial cocktail function, at the TSB Arena in Wellington this month, enabled us to connect and thank the organisations we work closely with to support our anaesthesia community and patients. NZSA Annual General Meeting 2020The NZSA's Annual General Meeting was held in Wellington on 16 October at the TSB Arena. It was one of the highest turnouts we have had for an AGM - thank you to members who attended, as well as the many who filled in proxy forms. * Treasurer Dr Malcolm Stuart presented the NZSA's financial statements for the year and the draft budget for 2021. The NZSA Executive proposed that member subscriptions stay the same as 2019 as a thank you to our anaesthesia workforce and their contribution. AGM attendees voted unanimously in favour of this motion. AGM papers, including the President's Annual Report and the Society's finances are available on the members' only section of the website here. A coffee a week - supporting Pacific AnaesthesiaPACT (Pacific Anaesthesia Collaborative Training) asks that you contribute the equivalent of just one coffee per week ($5) to help fund a Pacific Island anaesthesia trainee through their three-year FNU Masters programme. Sign up today to contribute to a sustainable anaesthesia workforce throughout the Pacific. This initiative was launched by the NZSA Global Health Committee at our 2020 conference - and we have already had a reasonable number sign up. If just 77 people donate one coffee per week to our PACT fund, we can provide the entire cost of a Pacific Island trainee’s education through the Masters programme. It’s that simple! Find out more here NZSA private practice resourceThe NZSA has developed an introductory guide for those who are contemplating, or have recently embarked on private hospital work. While it may be an exciting time it can also be daunting. Our guide, with FAQs, aims to make this an easier transition. In putting together the guide, the authors thought of the information they would have found helpful when they started working in private practice. This is a members only resource and you will need to use your member login to be able to access it under 'private practice info.' NZSA Relative Value GuideThe NZSA Relative Value Guide (RVG) update and revision continues behind the scenes. Thank you to the many who have contributed in the last year to this work. We are keen to hear from members as we further refine the RVG; if you, as a user of the RVG have any thoughts of how it should be changed or improved, please email NZSA President Dr Kathryn Hagen khagen@adhb.govt.nz Global Anaesthesia DaysOccupational health and the urgent need to protect the health of physicians was this year's World Anaesthesia Day theme. Anaesthetists rank among the health professionals most affected by stress and burnout, and the specialty's core role during COVID has compounded these issues. Anaesthetists were asked to share how they support their personal wellbeing - examples posted on social media included daily exercise, on time breaks, listening to music, watching comedy shows, adequate rest, and taking holidays. There was also mention of wine and enjoying a G & T (moderately of course!) The National Anaesthesia Day theme “Anaesthetists: Always Ready” also resonated strongly as it recognised the pivotal role of anaesthetists responding to the pandemic, as well as other events and emergencies. This theme sought to build on the increased interest in anaesthetists as frontline specialists. Congratulations to ANZCA who put together a video campaign for anaesthetists to share their frontline experiences, and how they are always ready to respond. Mandate to end DHB climate pollutionFollowing the UK’s National Health Service announcement this month that it will commit to net zero carbon emissions by 2045, Ora Taiao (the NZ Climate and Health Council, of which NZSA is a member) published a statement again asking the NZ Government to require emissions reductions in our health sector. webAIRS - airway auditOn 9 October 2020, the Anaesthesia Airway Audit project (AAAp) results were published in the peer reviewed Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Journal. The audit was conducted over six months from 3 April to 5 October 2018, inclusive. The title of the article is “A prospective six-month audit of airway incidents during anaesthesia in twelve tertiary level hospitals across Australia and New Zealand," authored by Yasmin Endlich, Linda Beckmann, Siu-Wai Choi and Martin Culwick. Read here WebAIRS can be used by an anaesthetic department to manage their incidents at a local level, choose which incidents are discussed locally, and to record the findings of the local discussion. At a national level, a selection of incidents is shown on the Advisory Notices for Anaesthetists (ANA)-Alerts page of the webAIRS website. To view the latest ANA-Alerts, please login or register at webAIRS website PPE surveyAuckland University is undertaking a survey to understand your views, attitudes and perceptions on the disinfection of personal protective equipment (PPE) for potential reuse. Your survey responses will help researchers understand under what circumstances you believe it may be acceptable to undertake PPE disinfection for potential reuse. In the mediaDiversification of the medical workforce is a critical step towards health equity, but what does this look like on the frontlines? In this excellent article in the Spinoff, Dr Maxine Ronald is interviewed - the only wahine Māori breast cancer surgeon in the world - about inequities in breast cancer outcomes for Māori. "We don’t have to wait for system change, we’re all capable of looking at the evidence and just deciding to do the best thing for our patients.” Read here New online risk assessment toolThe Heart Foundation has launched a free online risk assessment and management tool, My Heart Check. The tool allows New Zealanders to take a proactive approach towards their heart health. Based on New Zealand data, it uses information such as location, ethnicity, and medical history to give a heart health estimate and approximate heart age, compared to actual age. Symposium: anaesthesia care and pain managementThis two-day symposium (20-21 November 2020) will look at improving access to safe anaesthesia care and pain medicine, with a focus on rural and remote Canada. The keynote speaker is the Immediate Past President of ANZCA Dr Rod Mitchell. More details here Events
AQUA - Annual Queenstown Update in Anaesthesia, 10-12 December 2020, Heritage Hotel Learn more www.aqua.ac.nz. Registrations opening soon! Anaesthesia Continuing EducationThe ACE website is a one-stop shop for anaesthesia events. Members convening conferences, workshops or meetings, which assist CPD requirements, are encouraged to add their event to the website. Advertising and quick links |