Lia Freestone

Senior specialist anaesthetist with expertise in general and cardiothoracic anaesthesia, including transoesophageal echocardiography and clinical education in diverse healthcare settings. Experienced medical educator leading anaesthesia training programs and statewide simulation initiatives, contributing to national curriculum development with ANZCA. Proven leader in education strategy, curriculum reform, and workforce development, driving impactful changes at local, state, and national levels.

• AHPRA – General registration
• MIPS – Professional indemnity
• ANZCA – Fellow
• RACMA – Member
• Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) – Member
• Australian Medical Association (AMA) – Member
• Working With Vulnerable People (WWVP) – current

Clinical anaesthesia

• Senior cardiothoracic anesthetist across public and private sectors
• Generalist anaesthesia with ongoing theatre-based teaching in public and private practice
• Contributor to clinical policy and practice development within anesthesia services

Anaesthesia training and program design

• Chair and rotational supervisor of the Tasmanian Anaesthetic Training Program (TATP)
• Architect of Tasmania’s first inclusive, coordinated statewide training program
• Lead roles in program governance, trainee selection, and workforce-aligned training models
• Strategic integration of STP funding and rural training opportunities

Curriculum and education reform

• Chair, ANZCA Curriculum Review Steering Committee (CRSC); contributor to broad educational initiatives with ANZCA, including graduate and program outcomes, cultural capability, trainee success, supervisor support, accreditation renewal, and trainee selection
• Co-designer of the Australia and New Zealand Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Initiative (AusNZ WELI) curriculum
• Leader in capability-based learning, constructive alignment, and curriculum innovation
• Alignment of education programs with training outcomes, workforce needs, and system goals

Simulation-based education

• Project lead, securing $1M federally funded FATES TASETN (Tasmanian Anaesthetic Simulation Education and Training Network) grant for a state-wide anaesthesia simulation network to deliver equity of equipment, faculty development, and program delivery
• Education lead, Royal Hobart Hospital, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine (RHH DAPM) Simulation Program (2018–current) and Perioperative ALS Program
• Simulation coordinator for COVID-19 preparation and K-block systems testing (2020)
• Advocacy and co-design of the RHH Simulation Learning Environment and system strategy

Education delivery and faculty development

• Coordinator, TATP teaching program, and state-wide anaesthesia education events
• Extensive teaching, including anaesthesia trainees, inter-professional learners, and undergraduate students
• Regular teacher and tutorial facilitator, TATP teaching program; active clinical teacher; ophthalmology SSU supervisor (2023-current)
• Faculty member and educator across simulation programs, interprofessional teaching, and national workshops
• Lead and facilitator for programs including ANZCA Part Zero, ANZCA Part Three Course, ANZCA Educator Program, Strengths and Storytelling, and CPD-in-a-Day
• Strong emphasis on engagement, capability-building, and teaching excellence
• Advocate for whole-of-state, whole-of-service education that supports training pipelines, vertical integration, interprofessional learning, and role modeling across the full training and practice continuum

CPD and event leadership

• Chair/convenor, Tasmanian ANZCA ASM meetings (2008, 2009, 2017) and organising committee (2018-2023), Trainee Day (2017–2023), Tas Winter Meeting (2018-2022), and CPD-in-a-Day (2018, 2022)
• Ongoing organizer, session chair, and presenter for CPD and education events
• Successful advocacy for future SIG meetings in Tasmania, including ANZCA Perioperative Medicine SIG 2027 TBC

Strategic leadership, governance, and professional representation

• Chair, ANZCA Tasmanian Regional Committee (TRC) (5 years; 17 years total service)
• Led key initiatives: inaugural TRC Strategic Plan, statewide CPD calendar, establishment of ANZCA Tasmanian office, and pain medicine advocacy
• Lead ANZCA accreditation visitor, specialist, and trainee performance reviewer, and remediation panel lead
• Committee member, ANZCA Education Development and Evaluation Committee (EDEC), Executive Education Management Committee (EEMC), and other national initiatives

Advocacy and workforce development

• Lead negotiator in anaesthesia for Tasmania's Specialist Training Program (STP) since 2017
• Ongoing engagement with government, health services, and training bodies to align education with workforce and service needs
• Advocate for excellence in regional training, sustainable workforce models, and system integration

Community and cross-sector leadership

• Designer and founder of the Tasmanian Tennis Youth Support Program, now a subcommittee with Tennis Tasmania
• Committed to community-based leadership, youth development, and broader contributions beyond medicine

Committees and governance roles

• Tasmanian Anaesthetic Training Program – Chair and Rotational Supervisor (2014–current)
• ANZCA Executive Education Management Committee (EEMC) (2022–current)
• ANZCA Education Development and Evaluation Committee (EDEC) – Deputy Chair (2022–current)
• ANZCA Curriculum Review Committee – Chair (2024–current)
• Project Lead, TASETN Simulation Network (2023–current)
• AUS, NZ, WELI Curriculum Committee (2022–current)
• ANZCA Educator Program instructor (2022–current)
• Multiple ANZCA working groups and steering committees

Previous roles

• DAPM Education, Training and Simulation Lead (2018-2025)
• DAPM Management Group (2018–2025)
• Chair of the ANZCA Tasmanian Regional Committee from 2018 to 2022 and member from 2006 to 2022
• ANZCA Regional Education Officer for Tasmania (2009-2011), and subsequently Education Officer for Tasmania (2016-2020)
• ANZCA Tasmanian Accreditation Officer (2014–2018)
• Supervisor of training, Royal Hobart Hospital (2006-2009)

• Medical Education SIG ANZCA (2006-current)
• Leadership and Management SIG ANZCA
• Communication SIG ANZCA
• Cardiac Thoracic Vascular and Perfusion (CTVP) SIG

• ANZCA Council citation (2024) for services to anaesthesia, education, and Tasmania
• National Anaesthesia Day Ambassador (2024) – selected as national representative to promote public engagement, education, and professional visibility for the specialty of anaesthesia
• FATES STP grant $1 million for TASETN project (2023)
• Undergraduate academic awards – Hedley Lux Bursary and Orthopaedic Prize

Select courses and qualifications

• Graduate Certificate of Clinical Education (University of Melbourne) (2024), now undertaking a Master of Clinical Education (University of Melbourne) (expected 2026)
• NHET Sim course, Monash University, 2024
• RACMA leadership for clinicians, awarded AFRACMA (2022)
• ANZCA Educators Program Instructors Course (2022)
• Critical Incident Debriefing (2022)
• Monash Human Factors Short Course, Monash University, 2021
• Process Communication Model (Course 2) (2020)
• Root Cause Analysis Course, Royal Hobart Hospital, 2020
• Process Communication Model (Course 1) (2018)
• ANZCA Educators Program (2018)

Major conferences

• ANZCA Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) (2008, 2019, and 2024)
• ANZCA Fellows' Conference (2008)
• ASA National Scientific Conference (NSC) (2004, 2012, 2025)
• ISQua’s 22nd International Conference, 2005, Vancouver, Canada
• Tasmanian ASM (2006-2009, 2014 to current)

• ANZCA CTN (Clinical Trials Network) Strategic Research Workshop, 2025, Supporting research and scholarship through the ANZCA curriculum
• Tasmanian Health Senate, 2024, THS Education, Training, and Workforce Strategy
• ANZCA ASM, 2024, Lead facilitator in AUS/NZ WELI workshops
• ANZCA ASM, 2019, Lead facilitator for Supervisor of Training workshops
• 97% Voluntary Incident Reporting in Clinical Practice, 2004, Presented at ANZCA Annual Scientific Registrar’s Meeting, Melbourne (Aug 2004), ASA National Scientific Congress, Sydney (Sep 2004), ARCHI Conference on Clinical Management Efficiencies, Melbourne (Nov 2004), ISQua 22nd International Conference, Vancouver, Canada (Oct 2005).
• Voluntary and Near Miss Incident Reporting in Anaesthetic Trainees in Australian Hospitals, 2004, Presented at ANZCA Annual Scientific Registrar’s Meeting, Melbourne (Aug 2004), ASA National Scientific Congress, Sydney (Sep 2004), ARCHI Conference on Clinical Management Efficiencies, Melbourne (Nov 2004), ISQua 22nd International Conference, Vancouver, Canada (Oct 2005).

• Freestone, L.A., 1992, The Psychosocial Adjustment of Young Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis: A Case Study Analysis, Thesis, University of Tasmania
• Freestone, L.A., 1995, The Humpty Dumpty Theory: The Manufacture and Healing of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), submitted for publication, Australasian Journal of Psychiatry
• Freestone, L., Bolsin, S., Colson, M., Patrick, A., Creati, B., 2004, 97% Voluntary incident reporting in clinical practice, Formal project, presented and submitted for publication
• Bolsin S, Patrick A, Colson M, Creati B, Freestone L., 2004, New technology to enable personal monitoring and incident reporting can transform professional culture: the potential to favourably impact the future of health care, J Eval Clin Practice, Accepted for publication
• Freestone L, Bolsin S, Colson M, Patrick A., 2004, Incident reporting, Journal of Quality & Safety in Health Care, submitted for publication

• Assoc Prof Deb Wilson, FANZCA, ANZCA Councilor, Director Utas Rural and Regional Hub, debbie.wilson@utas.edu.au, 0408 123 280
• Assoc Prof Marcus Skinner, FANZCA, Co-Chair Tasmanian Health Senate, skinneranaesthesia@gmail.com, 0458 333 200
• Dr Matthew Spotswood, FACEM FCICM, Director of Medical Education and Training, Royal Hobart Hospital, matthew.spotswood@ths.tas.gov.au, 0427 841 915