Speakers

Dr. Mellin-Olsen is cand. med. from the University of Trondheim, Norway, from 1982. In 1987, she was the first Norwegian female physician to complete her (voluntary) military services, which she did by serving for the UNIFIL Forces in South Lebanon. She got involved in patient safety initiatives during her residency training in Trondheim University Hospital where she got her specialty in 1992. She has worked for the Red Cross in Pakistan and Serbia. She was the medical director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa for MedAire, Inc, based in Tampe, AZ, for ten years, dealing with remote medical advice, including for aviation and maritime. Since 2002, she has held a full-time clinical post in Baerum Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Both in her home country and internationally, Jannicke is known for her dedication to organizational work. She has been active in the Veterans’ organization and in national and international medical organizations. During her term in the European Board of Anaesthesiology, she chaired the Patient Safety and Quality Committee before becoming president. During her presidency, she was the driving force for the Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology, which was launched in 2010. Since then, this Declaration has been signed and supported in all regions of the world and has become the industry standard. She is currently the secretary of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and the president-elect of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists. In her home country, she is known as a promoter of a non-punitive approach to medical errors, according to the model of the NTSB’s. She is particularly committed to human factors, communication, and involvement of patients, relatives, and clinical staff as experts to improve patient safety.

Jannicke’s publication list mainly contains articles and book chapters related to patient safety, education, and manpower. She is a well-known speaker at anaesthesiology meetings globally and holds several honorary positions.