Med Talk

Melanie Polnau is a Nurse Clinician with our North Shore Diabetes team. As a child Melanie attended Diabetes Camp with her sister who had Type 1 Diabetes. After graduating as an RN, Melanie worked at VGH and also spent 15 years working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at BC Children’s. Following a return to Diabetes Camp as a nurse, her career transitioned to working with patients living with diabetes. She worked at several Diabetes Education Centres before joining the North Shore Team in early 2022.

Karen Baillie, a registered nurse has spent more than 20 years providing treatment and care to cancer patients. She worked at the Oncology Department at BC Children’s Hospital before joining LGH Oncology in 2008. Karen 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.