Med Talk

Melanie Polnau is a Nurse Clinician with our North Shore Diabetes team. Melanie graduated in 1997 from BCIT and spent her first years at VGH. From there she moved to BC Children’s and worked close to 15 years in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She then transitioned to work in diabetes after going to Diabetes Camp as a nurse, returning years later after attending as a child with her sister with Type 1 Diabetes. Melanie has worked at multiple Diabetes Education Centres and she joined the North Shore Team in early 2022.

Karen Baillie is a registered nurse. She graduated and started her nursing career in New Brunswick then moved to BC, where she worked at BC Children’s Hospital in Oncology. She came to LGH Oncology in 2008. Karen has over 20 years of experience in Oncology and currently oversees the day to day running of the LGH Oncology Clinic as Nurse Clinician.  

Dawn Warkentin is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in the LGH Oncology Clinic. She focuses on providing patient-oriented care as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Dawn came to Vancouver Coastal Health 24 years ago after taking specialized training in stem cell transplant in the U.S. She spent 22 years with VGH’s Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, coming to Lions Gate Hospital 7  years ago. Dawn also teaches at UBC and mentors students.