Jannicke Mellin-Olsen, MD, DPH

Governance Board Member

Patient Safety Movement Foundation
Past President, World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists

Jannicke Mellin-Olsen is on the Governance Board of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. One of the most influential figures in anesthesiology, she is a former President of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists, a global organization representing anesthesiologists across 150 countries.

Mellin-Olsen has also been President of the European Board of Anaesthesiologists, and during this time, she played a key role in developing and launching the landmark Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology. This has since become an industry standard around the world on the necessary steps to ensure patient safety in perioperative care, and she has played a vital role in actively disseminating and lobbying for its spread and implementation.

Mellin-Olsen has been involved in patient safety initiatives throughout her entire career, since her medical residency training in Trondheim University Hospital. In Norway, her home country, she is known for promoting a nonpunitive approach to medical errors and advocating for the continued involvement of patients, relatives, and clinical staff as experts for improving patient safety. In September 2021, she was appointed to the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav, the highest civilian honor available in Norway, for her services to healthcare.