Dr Silke Brinkmann

Special Interest Areas

• All areas of adult anaesthesia, especially orthopaedics and obstetrics
• Health Industry Leadership, Ethics, Governance, Diversity
• Medical Education and Simulation-based learning
• Multi-disciplinary team training and Systems Safety
• Perioperative medicine and acute pain medicine
• Regional Anaesthesia, with fellowship training as Regional Fellow at Vancouver General Hospital Canada
• Post-operative cognitive optimisation and delirium prevention
• Geriatric medicine/anaesthesia
• Athletes and dancers

About Dr Brinkmann

Dr Brinkmann completed her undergraduate medical degree at the University of Western Australia. After obtaining her specialist qualification, (Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists), she has worked as a Consultant Anaesthetist in Australia and also Canada.

Silke currently works clinically as a Specialist Anaesthetist in a private practice. She is Senior Lecturer with the University of Western Australia and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

She is involved in peri-operative medicine, acute pain management, research, teaching, quality improvement, and institutional governance. She has committee roles with the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, Bethesda Healthcare, and St John of God Hospital.

Silke has special interest in crisis management; systems-safety; and human factors in healthcare settings, including mental well-being in health professionals. She has held positions of Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada; and has collaborated with the Harvard Centre for Medical Simulation Boston, USA. In Canada, Silke developed the Vancouver General Hospital Multidisciplinary Simulation Program, piloted the Canadian Anaesthesia Simulation Curriculum, and she continues to teach in the arena of simulation based learning for doctors. Silke has recently completed a certification in Quality and Safety with the Institute of Healthcare Innovation, Boston USA. 

Here in Australia, Silke is the founding leader of the SCGH “Peri-Operative Delirium Action Group”, a multi-disciplinary research team dedicated to improving peri-operative cognitive function. Silke also facilitates medical emergency training for anaesthetists, surgeons and multidisciplinary teams, including “Emergency Management of Anaesthetic Crises” course (for ANZCA) and “Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient” course (for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons). Her academic commitments include regular teaching of junior doctors.

Silke has sat on committees for ANZCA and ASA (Australian Society of Anaesthetists); and has been a member of hospital medical advisory and clinical quality & safety committees for a number of years. More recently, she has been a COVID-19 medical advisor in context of the pandemic. 

Silke has presented internationally on her research topics of post-operative cognitive optimization; peri-operative care and ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery); regional anaesthesia; and wellbeing in the medical profession. Silke has published several papers in the field of anaesthesia, and been and invited author on the topic of Delirium in Australasian Anaesthesia 2019 . 

Finally, Silke is a former professional classical ballet dancer and is also a daughter, sister, wife, and mother of three active boys. Silke cares deeply about facilitating best functional outcomes and maintenance of wellbeing for patients during all stages of their lives……………whether that be through helping elite athletes return to optimal performance; providing anaesthesia care for mothers during childbirth; or facilitating complex and integrated peri-operative management of the geriatric patient.