2025 Program

Program Updates

Please note the program timings are subject to change. Please check this page regularly.

The sessions are shown in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) UTC +10.

Use a time zone converter to check your time: timeanddate.com

Wednesday, 24 September 2025
11.00 – 12.30	Conference Registration Desk Open Arrival Tea and Coffee Federation Ballroom Foyer
	Opening Session Theme: Complex Critical Care Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
12.30 – 12.40	Welcome to Country, Linton Burgess
12.40 – 13.05	Welcome, Introduction & Housekeeping – MC Doug Kamo Official Opening – Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania ASA & FNA Presidents Welcome – Mark Buick and Hayden Wilson
13.05 – 14.20	Mick Wilson Oration Invited Speakers Franklin River Rescue – complex critical care of hypothermic cardiac arrest in remote Tasmania Dr Jorian Kippax, HEMS, Mr Rob Brittle, Ambulance Tasmania, Mr Mitch Parkinson
14.20 – 14.40	40 Years of ASA – Andrew Berry, NETS
14.40 – 14.50	Conference Partner Delegate Address – Royal Flying Doctor Service Dr Kieran Hennelly – General Manager Aeromedical RFDS WA
14.50 – 15.15	Afternoon Tea & Exhibition Federation Ballroom
	Session Two Theme: When the Usual Isn’t Enough: Adaptation and Alignment in Retrieval Practice Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
15.15 – 15.35	Hypothermic cardiac arrest in NZ, rescue and resuscitation; Luck, skill and decision making. Should we try things that we have never tried before?    Mr Casey Drum, NRHL
15.35 – 15.55	Time Critical Complex Logistical Remote Offshore Maternity/Neonatal Retrieval Mission Miss Penny Bee, Te Whatu Ora Waitaha / NZ Flying Doctors Presentation Slides Download
15.55 – 16.05	Management of traumatic cardiac arrest: an outcome predictors focused approach Dr Alan Garner, Trauma Tasmania Presentation Slides Download
16.05 – 16.20	Group Q&A 15 Mins
16.20 – 16.30	Spinal Motion Restriction and Extrication in Remote Trauma: Aligning UK and Australian Practice to Support Non-Paramedic Retrieval Teams Dr Alex Shaw, RFDS SA / NT, Dr Neil Thomson Presentation Slides Download
16.30 – 16.40	Designing and building a helicopter winch simulator: Challenges, benefits and outcomes explored. Mr Ati Wynyard, NRHL
16.40 – 17.00	Drone Integration into Aeromedical Trial Sam Immens, NSW Ambulance, Kent Hanson, Toll
17.00 – 17.10	Group Q&A 10 minutes
17.10 – 19.00	Welcome Reception Federation Ballroom
Thursday, 25 September 2025
7.30 – 8.15	Flight Nurses Australia Annual General Meeting Harbour View 1
8.00	Conference Registration Desk Open Arrival Tea and Coffee Federation Ballroom Foyer
8.30 – 8.35	Welcome Day 2 Grand Ballroom 1-3
8.35 – 8.40	Gold Sponsor Delegate Address – Salus Aviation Wayne Christie – Executive General Manager Aircraft Sales & Leasing
	Session Three Theme: Global Perspectives in Retrieval Medicine Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
08.40 – 09.50	Invited Speaker Air Ambulance Operations in Africa: Experiences of AMREF Flying Doctors Dr Joseph Lelo, AMREF Flying Doctors
09.50 – 10.10	Global Allyship in Retrieval Care Dr Mardi Steere, University Of Nairobi / AMREF Kenya / RFDS SA/NT Presentation Slides Download
10.10 – 10.30	How much we can do with how little Mr Jurgen Ruh, Manolos Aviation Presentation Slides Download
10.30 – 10.45	Group Q&A 15 minutes
10.45 – 11.15	Morning Tea & Exhibition Federation Ballroom
	Session Four Theme: Blood Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
11.15 – 11.35	Arterial Tourniquet considerations in Prolonged Aeromedical Retrieval Mr Matt Pepper, RFDS WA Presentation Slides Download
11.35 – 11.55	Major Traumatic Haemorrhage Resuscitation in Queensland’s Aeromedical Retrieval System & The ROUGE Study (EaRrly FibrinOgen Concentrate for Major TraUmatic HaemorrhaGE) Ellie Kitcatt, Retrieval Services Queensland Presentation Slides Download
11.55 – 12.15	Is Freeze Dried Plasma the solution to the plasma drought? Jonathan Newman, ACI Presentation Slides Download
12.15 – 12.30	Group Q&A 15 minutes
12.30 – 13.20	Lunch & Exhibition Federation Ballroom
	Session Five Theme: Changing Patient Population Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
13.20 – 13.40	Challenges of Aviation Response to Natural Disasters Mr Steven Sartain, Department of Fire and Emergency Services
13.40 – 14.00	Supporting the rural clinician: decision-making assistance during difficult times Mrs Toni Johnston, Health New Zealand – Southern Presentation Slides Download
14.00 – 14.20	Strait up There: An integrated Helicopter Retrieval Service as part of Primary, Virtual and Inpatient Care Network Dr Aaron Sparshott, TCHHS / RFDS QLD
14.20 – 14.30	Bringing your loved ones home: a behind-the-scenes look at the logistics of long-haul international retrievals Dr Katherine Gridley, LifefFlight Zoe Bazley, LifeFlight
14.30 – 14.45	Group Q&A 15 Minutes
14.45 – 15.15	Afternoon Tea & Exhibiton Federation Ballroom
	Session Six Theme: Standards and Best Practices Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
15.15 – 15.35	Adverse event rates among mechanically ventilated patients undergoing aeromedical transfer in the Western Cape, South Africa. Stephen Colman, Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Presentation Slides Download
15.35 – 15.55	Bariatric Retrievals in Aeromedicine: A Matter of Dignity and Safety Dr Rochelle Menzies, RFDS – Western Operations, Mr Paul Ingram, RFDS – Western Operations Presentation Slides Download
15.55 – 16.05	The journey towards CAMTS Global accreditation:  NETS experience Mr Trevor Ho, NETS – NSW Presentation Slides Download
16.05 – 16.20	Group Q&A 15Mins
16.20 – 16.30	RFDSWO Rolls Out Compliance with Medical Transport Specialists (MTS) Ms Jessica Tillet, RFDS – Western Operations
16.30 – 16.40	Enhancing pre-hospital critical care capacity by road in the North & Northwest of Tasmania Mr David Grant, Ambulance Tasmania , Ivor Carins, Ambulance Tasmania, Dr Dinendra Gill, Ambulance Tasmania, Dr Nicholas Scott, Ambulance Tasmania
16.40 – 16.50	Bridging the Distance: A ‘Hub and Spoke’ Model for Remote Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine Training Dr Shannon Mulder, Central Australian Retrieval Service (CARS), Dr Warren Addie, Central Australian Retrieval Service (CARS) Presentation Slides Download
16.50 – 17.00	Group Q&A 10 Mins
17.00 – 17.30	Aeromedical Society of Australasia Annual General Meeting Grand Ballroom 1-3
Friday, 26 September 2025
8.00	Conference Registration Desk Open Arrival Tea and Coffee Federation Ballroom Foyer
8.45 – 9.00	Welcome Day 3 Grand Ballroom 1-3
	Session Seven Theme: Decisions, Decisions Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
09.00 – 9.20	Fit to fly or to Unfit to stay Dr Ina Schmidt, Icarus e.V
09.20 – 09.40	Disposition of Aeromedical Inter Hospital Transfers: an evaluation study to explore a larger problem Mr Brandon Allwood, Aspen Medical Retrieval Services Presentation Slides Download
09.40 – 10.00	Interhospital transfer of mTBI in rural and remote Queensland – can “low-value” transfers be avoided? – the REMAIN Study A/Prof. Clinton Gibbs, Retrieval Services Queensland
10.00 – 10.15	Group Q&A 15 minutes
10.15 – 10.25	Prehospital Tiger Snake Antivenom (TSAV) use in remote Tasmania – a case report Dr Anke Sandra Barta, Ambulance Tasmania
10.25 – 10.35	Choosing the right route, intravenous access decisions for vasoactive drugs in PHRM Dr Robbie Ley Greaves, Lifeflight Medicine
10.35 – 10.45	Ketamine versus propofol for sedation in acute psychiatric emergencies during aeromedical retrieval: a randomized controlled trial Dr Nicholas George, Careflight
10.45 – 10.55	Group Q&A 10 minutes
10.55 – 11.25	Morning Tea & Exhibition Federation Ballroom
	Session Eight Theme: Human Factors & Crew Resource Management Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
11.25 – 11.45	Trees – Cognitive aid for enchancing patient transfers across multiagency assets Mrs Yolanda Morris, RFDS, Mr Alex McMillan Presentation Slides Download
11.45 – 12.05	The Four Silent Forces that Destroy High Performing Teams Mr Neill Posthumus, Toll Aviation
12.05 – 12.25	Kaye Melmeth Oration Incorporating human factors in simulation training in the NETS multidisciplinary neonatal and paediatric orientation programme Mrs Amanda Maroon, NETS, Dr Amber Seigel
12.25 – 12.40	Group Q&A 15 minutes
12.40 – 13.40	Lunch & Exhibition Federation Ballroom
	Session Nine Theme: At the Vanguard Room: Grand Ballroom 1-3
13.40 – 14.00	United States HEMS safety: past, present and future Mr Steve Soliz, Bell Textron Presentation Slides Download
14.00 – 14.10	Flare It Up: The Use of Thermo GPS Flares in Desolate & Extreme Locations Ms Shelby Shepherd, Wolfsons Children Hospital Presentation Slides Download
14.10 – 14.20	Boosting Confidence through Interagency Aeromedical Simulation Training Dr John Iliff, RFDS – Western Operations Presentation Slides Download
14.20 – 14.30	Expanding Horizons: The Dynamic Role of Nurse Practitioners in Neonatal and Paediatric Retrieval Mrs Ruth Irwin, NETS NSW Presentation Slides Download
14.30 – 14.45	Group Q&A 15 Minutes
14.45 – 15.30	Afternoon Tea & Exhibition Federation Ballroom
15.30 – 15.50	From an idea to a new helicopter fleet Stefan Becker, Swiss Air-Rescue Rega
15.50 – 16.50	Invited Speaker Challenges of maintaining a retrieval service in a remote 3rd world location Dr Barry Kirby AO, THOR Foundation Ms Kila Dobo Koupere, THOR Foundation
16.50 – 17.05	2026 Announcement Conference Close
19.00 – 23.00	2025 Aeromed 40th Anniversary Conference Dinner Princes Wharf 1 Dress Code: Smart Casual

Thank You to our Conference Partner