Dr Jorian Kippax is an emergency medicine specialist based in Tasmania, Australia — but his work spans mountaintops, disaster zones, and deep wilderness. He’s a Retrieval Consultant with Ambulance Tasmania’s Critical Care and Retrieval Service, and a Trauma Specialist at the Royal Hobart Hospital. He’s also a veteran of international disaster response, having led medical teams in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan and earthquakes in Myanmar as part of Australia’s elite AUSMAT deployment force.

In November 2024 he was involved in a 22-hour rescue deep in Tasmania’s Franklin River wilderness. He performed a life-saving underwater field amputation to free a trapped rafter using only the gear that could be delivered by helicopter. That act of skilled courage earned him Lithuania’s Life Saving Cross and the 2026 Australian of the Year for Tasmania.

In today's episode, Dr Kippax shares a firsthand account of the rescue, and we explore the underlying human factors skills used by him and the large team of specialists that day.

To watch the ABC News Documentary: You Tube: https://youtu.be/nMa-Lqxfzqk?si=3or2-2ZjAh6oziyi

https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/dr-jorian-kippax

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I was fortunate to be invited to an Upland Hills Health dinner to deliver a presentation focused on the lessons we have learned from our podcast guests, specifically with respect to how Healthcare might benefit from instruction in human factors and mental skills, and from formal coaching. Drawing from the stories and lessons learned from several of our impactful guests, I delve into how mental skills training forms the third corner of a high performers pyramid, held together by the understanding and application of human factors. I suggest that we can set ourselves up for success with mastery of the basics, excellent preparation, and then by using self regulation techniques to steer us into the appropriate performance state. I cover mental rehearsal and visualization, and finally some key concepts about debriefing and how important it is for that to become an ingrained part of team culture.

I would like to credit and acknowledge the podcast guests that provided this material that I have collated together from multiple episodes into a single presentation. If you wish to hear more details from these guests themselves then please jump into their individual episodes numbered below.

Dr Jason Brooks #6

Alan Stein Jr. #16

Capt. Sam Soderberg #17

Mandy Hickson #18

Dr Andrew Petrosoniak #22

Jonathan Viscosi #27

Payar Pasha #29

Keith Reesby #33

DISCLAIMER: ***The opinions that I express in this podcast are my own personal views, with references also made to prior episodes and guest views. I am not speaking for, or representing, any other company or institution. The dispatch case details at the beginning of the podcast are purely a fictional simulation, and any resemblance to a real or actual event or patient is purely coincidence.***

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Keith Reesby is a personal development specialist with more than 25 years of experience in human performance and transformation. Combining contemporary psychology, ancient philosophy and lived experience, he has developed a proven 10-step process to help people discover purpose, build self-awareness, and achieve lasting behavioural change.

Keith combines his lifelong passion and study of psychology with extraordinary life experiences that include: international sportsman, combat helicopter pilot, ascent of Mount Everest, driving from Cape Town in South Africa to the UK, and Iron Man endurance events. He is an author with an upcoming book about to be published, "The Hero you" and currently works a transformation life coach through his company METIS Human Potential. These experiences have given him rare insight into the human condition—and the practical tools to overcome its challenges. In this episode we talk to Keith about two key events in his life; when he was shot while flying on deployment with the Army, and what happened during his ascent of Mount Everest. We discuss ways to cope with the "startle effect", and how knowing your own values and inner-self can help unlock the Hero within you as well.

Keith's website: https://keithreesby.com/

Upcoming book: "The Hero You"

Performance acronym: ARFA

A: Action

R: Reflection

F: Feedback

A: Adjustment

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