TEAM
Get to know your Wee Care Physicians and Pediatric Nurse
Dr. Stephen West
Dr. West received his medical degree from the University of Toronto, Canada in 1988. He then went on to do specialty training in Pediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. After remaining there for 4 years, he was made Associate Chief Resident of Pediatrics.
In June 1992 he received his Specialist Certificate in Pediatrics from The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He also went on to further subspecialty training in Neonatology at The Hospital for Sick Children, as well as Mount Sinai Hospital and Women's College Hospital. This training involved treating the most premature babies (born as early as 24 weeks), as well as newborns with surgical conditions, congenital heart disease and other critically ill infants. He enjoys running Wee Care Pediatrics immensely and looks forward to caring for your child.
Dr. Ryan Bates
Dr. Bates received his medical degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada in 1998. He then went on to do specialty training in pediatrics at The Winnipeg Children's Hospital in Manitoba. After remaining there for 4 years, he was honored in 2001 with the Outstanding Resident of the Year Award. He was made Chief Resident of Pediatrics in his final year of training. He received his certification from the American Board of Pediatrics in 2002, as well as his Specialist Certificate in Pediatrics from The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2002.
After completing his training, Dr. Bates became a Staff Physician in the Emergency Department of Winnipeg Children's Hospital. While there, he cared for critically ill children, pediatric trauma patients and other ER cases. During his training, Dr. Bates was able to share his pediatric knowledge with underprivileged families by doing electives in Zambia and Honduras. Dr. Bates has also worked as Department Chair of Pediatrics at the Commonwealth Health Center in Saipan in the South Pacific.
Nurse Michelle
Nurse Michelle completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2002. After completing her degree, she gained a wealth of experience by working at two of the most prestigious pediatric hospitals in Canada, Winnipeg Children’s Hospital and the IWK Children’s Hospital in Halifax. While there, Nurse Michelle worked in acute pediatric medicine, as well as Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Hematology, Pediatric Nephrology and as a member of the Renal Transplant team. In 2005 she became a staff nurse on Gosling Ward at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Recognizing her superior knowledge, clinical acumen, and leadership skills, she was promoted to Clinical Manager of Gosling Ward in 2009, and remained in that position until she left KEMH in 2019 to become a member of the Wee Care Team.
Nurse Michelle is also certified with the Canadian Vascular Access Association, is a certified asthma educator, a certified Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) instructor, a graduate of the Nurse Manager Academy at Johns Hopkins Nursing School, and certified with the First Latch Breastfeeding Program.