In Memoriam: Dr. Jannicke Mellin-Olsen (1957–2025)

With heavy hearts, we say goodbye to Dr. Jannicke Mellin-Olsen, MD, DPH, FESAIC, who passed away suddenly on 6 February 2025 at her home outside Oslo. With her passing, the world has lost a giant within anaesthesiology. We extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones on this tragic loss.

Jannicke was a true force in anaesthesiology. She led with passion and always had time for others. She earned her medical degree from the University of Trondheim in 1982, followed by an internship at Hamar Hospital and residency at Trondheim University Hospital. She was the first female doctor in Norway to complete military service, which led to her serving as a Senior Medical Officer with UNIFIL in Lebanon. Her dedication to humanitarian values continued throughout her career, including work with the ICRC and as an advisor to the Egyptian government.

The ESAIC was a significant part of Jannicke’s life and career. She chaired the Patient Safety and Quality Committee, further cementing her leadership in advancing patient safety within ESAIC. Dr. Mellin-Olsen was the driving force behind the Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology, launched in 2010, which has become the industry standard throughout the world. She also served as the Secretary of the European Society of Anaesthesiology, further strengthening her impact on the organisation and its mission. She was deeply involved in the organisation and played a key role in shaping its work on patient safety. Her leadership and expertise helped drive the society’s mission forward, ensuring anaesthesiologists across Europe had the necessary resources and guidelines to provide safer care. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, ESAIC awarded her Honorary Membership in 2018, an honour she cherished deeply. She was also recognised as a Fellow of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (FESAIC), a testament to her dedication and commitment to the field.

One of her most impactful achievements was her contribution to the Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety, which continues to guide global anaesthesia practice today. She believed deeply in improving communication between healthcare professionals and patients, which led to initiatives such as ‘the orange chair’ project, encouraging clinicians to sit down with patients to foster better communication. She was also instrumental in the foundation of The National Commission of Inquiry into Health & Care Services (UKOM) in Norway, which reviews patient safety incidents nationally.

Beyond her professional contributions, Jannicke was a warm, joyful, and endlessly supportive colleague and friend. She had an incredible energy, a wonderful sense of humour, and a way of making everyone feel welcome. Whether she was leading an important initiative, sharing a story, or enjoying a coffee with colleagues, she brought people together. She made ESAIC and the wider anaesthesiology community feel like family.

Her influence spanned more than 40 years, and she was instrumental in many innovations in anaesthesia safety and healthcare quality. She was the first non-American member of the Board of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, aiming to eliminate preventable patient deaths. Her leadership extended across numerous global organisations, always with a deep commitment to the next generation of anaesthesiologists.

For her contributions, Jannicke was awarded the highest civilian honour in Norway—Knight 1st Class of The Royal Order of St. Olav—and received the Distinguished Service Award from WFSA, where she served as President from 2018 to 2020.

Her legacy will live on through the people she inspired, the lives she improved, and the friendships she nurtured. While we feel her absence deeply, we also celebrate the life she lived so fully and the positive change she brought to the world.

Dr. Jannicke Mellin-Olsen will always be in our hearts. Her kindness, her laughter, and her enduring belief in a safer world for patients will continue to guide us.