OUR TEAM
Our skin health physicians
At Kelowna Skin Cancer Clinic, we offer exceptional patient care in the most cordial and highly professional manner. We constantly aim to provide you with unmatched service to fulfill all your skin care needs while surpassing your expectations.
Dr. Ben Wiese
General Practitioner / Medical Director
Based in Kelowna, Dr Ben Wiese is a General Practitioner, with his certification by the College of Family Physicians,CCFP. Please note Dr Ben is not a dermatologist, oncologist, or RCPSC certified surgeon. As a general practitioner, he only sees patients with skin cancer related concerns, screening and treatment.
Dr. Wiese studied in South Africa at the University of Pretoria, where he received his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery.
In 2010, Dr. Wiese and his wife, Dr. Lize Wiese, decided to move from South Africa and open up a family practice in Kelowna. In 2014, he began taking dermoscopy and primary care skin cancer courses at the Universities of Cardiff and Queensland. Upon completing his studies, he decided to open up his services due to the high demand. He began treating and managing high-risk patients with skin cancer. In 2021, Dr. Ben achieved his Master’s degree in skin cancer from the University of Queensland in Australia.
As a general practitioner, Dr. Wiese is a firm believer that “prevention is better than cure.” Having worked as a general practitioner for over a decade, Dr. Wiese’s approach is more proactive than reactive. Rather than look at a sporadic skin lesion, he takes the time to look over the body’s fastest-growing organ – the skin. His aim is to be a true professional in the field of skin cancer and dermoscopy. Ultimately, Dr. Wiese hopes to contribute to skin cancer awareness through research, teaching, and being a strong advocate for prevention.
Aside from their careers, both Dr. Wiese and his wife love hiking, biking, jogging, and snow skiing. Together, they enjoy travelling and simply spending time with good friends. Their twin boys and 2 cats provide abundant joy, love and laughter.
For BC Residents:
Please be advised that I, Dr Ben Wiese hereby certify that I am un-enrolled from the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP), effective November 22nd, 2023, in accordance with the provision for such an election under section 13 of the Medicare Protection Act.
In accordance with the above, fees for services provided by myself to BC residents are the responsibility of the patient directly, and not the BC government. Patients will not be entitled to seek reimbursement for my fees from MSP. Patients should also be aware of the following implications for un-enrolled physicians and their patients:
1. For services provided in most community clinics and offices, the Medicare Protection
Act (MPA) does not limit the amount that can be charged by de-enrolled physicians.
o If a de-enrolled physician intends to require their patients to pay the costs of a service, they must inform the patient, prior to rendering the service:
i) that the patient will be required to pay the cost directly;
ii) the amount the patient will be required to pay; and
iii) that the amount the patient pays will not be reimbursed by the Medical Services
Plan (MSP).
2. De-enrolled physicians can order laboratory tests. However, laboratory services referred by a de-enrolled physicians are not payable by MSP. Patients are responsible for those costs and are not eligible for reimbursement from MSP because the service is not considered a benefit.
3. De-enrolled physicians can order diagnostic services such as x-rays and ultrasound. However, patients are responsible for the costs of diagnostic services ordered by a de-enrolled physician and are not eligible for reimbursement from MSP.
4. De-enrolled physicians can refer patients to medical specialists. Beneficiary patients referred to enrolled specialists by de-enrolled physicians may be charged privately for the difference between the specialist fee and the family practice visit fee.
Dr. Lize Wiese
General Practitioner / Medical Director
Dr Lize Wiese is a General Practitioner, with her certification by the College of Family Physicians,CCFP. Please note Dr Lize is not a dermatologist, oncologist, or RCPSC certified surgeon. As a general practitioner, she only sees patients with skin cancer related concerns, screening and treatment.
Dr. Lize Wiese is a passionate advocate for prevention and early detection when it comes to skin cancer. She began to realize her passion for treating and preventing skin cancer while working as a general practitioner. She realized that there was a big need in Kelowna for access to skin cancer screening. This led her to co-found the Kelowna Skin Cancer Clinic in 2018.
Dr. Lize enjoys helping people by means of investigation, diagnosis and the performance of minor surgeries.
She is also quite talented when it comes to the education side of her job. She knows how anxiety-inducing it can be to find something on your body that you don’t understand. She strives to help alleviate her patients’ fears.
Many people aren’t very knowledgeable when it comes to protecting their skin from damage and cancer. They’re often led to believe myths about tanning and sun protection. Dr. Lize takes pride in being a qualified yet approachable resource for her patients.
Dr. Lize believes that education and prevention are critical elements in reducing skin cancer. At Kelowna Skin Cancer Clinic, they believe that “prevention is the best cure.” Currently, skin exams aren’t as popular as other cancer examinations. Her goal is to keep her patients and the general public informed about the risks of skin cancer, as well as how to prevent it from developing. She hopes that skin cancer education and screening continue to become a priority.
Today Dr. Lize Wiese lives and works in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada with her husband, Dr. Ben Wiese, and their two children.
Dr. Sheena Sikora
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Dr.Sikora’s passion for skin cancer reconstruction involves both curing the disease as well as providing the most aesthetic reconstruction with the least amount of visible scarring. Any time an incision goes through all the layers of the skin there will be a permanent scar, but this can be minimized by hiding the scar in natural shadows and creases while preventing distortion of neighbouring structures (e.g eyelids, eyebrows, lips). The ultimate reward for Dr.Sikora is making a patient feel comfortable during their procedure.
Dr.Sikora completed medical school at the University of Alberta in 2010. Following this she completed Plastic Surgery training at the University of British Columbia in 2015. This was followed by a 1 year fellowship in Melbourne, Australia. She started her Career in Kelowna in 2016 with a focus on cancer reconstruction, upper limb and facial trauma/reconstruction and aesthetic surgery.
Dr.Sikora continues to teach medical students and residents at Kelowna General Hospital as a clinical professor with the University of British Columbia. Research has enabled her to present at many regional, national and international conferences. She is passionate about international medicine and has done multiple missions around the globe where her goal is to treat patients with traumatic and congenital deformities, and to provide skills, education and resources that are self sustainable.
Dr.Sikora has seen the immense need for skin cancer prevention and treatment in the Okanagan. Dr.Ben and Lize Wiese have gone above and beyond to provide this service and Dr.Sikora is thrilled to join their team as a reconstructive surgeon.
Lianne Wallace
Registered Nurse
Lianne is a Registered Nurse that joined our team in spring 2020. She loves being a nurse and is passionate and dedicated to helping others. She is fluent in both French and English, was raised in a small town in Manitoba, and moved to Kelowna in 2014. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and exploring the outdoors with her husband and her little boy!
Sledge Pajanconi
Registered Nurse
Sledge is a Registered Nurse who joined our team in 2023. He trained to be a nurse from the Philippines and Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. His 12 years experience in various fields of nursing, which includes Acute Medical, Discharge Planning, Home Care & Community and Wound Care Nursing, is invaluable to the overall holistic care for his patients. Sledge enjoys his downtime camping with his wife and two children or you’ll find him at a park playing basketball.
Montana Brown
LPN
Montana is an LPN, cosmetic injector, and skincare advisor for The Kelowna Skin Cancer Clinic as well as Revive Skincare, the aesthetics side of the practice. Montana joined our team in Summer of 2019, and has been in the medical aesthetics industry for the past 8 years. She is passionate about all aspects of the skin; including educating clients about preventative anti-aging and skin cancer prevention strategies, to help them look and feel their best.
Heather de Lange
LPN
Heather is an LPN who joined our team at the start of 2022. Heather comes with a 10-year background in long-term care and has become a passionate advocate for skin cancer and prevention. Heather is an energetic mom of two boys and enjoys the Okanagan outdoors in her spare time.
Jenny Tucker
LPN
Jenny is a Licensed Practical Nurse who joined our team in the Summer of 2023. She is passionate about being a nurse and making a difference in people’s lives. She became a nurse in 2012 and worked in acute care and nurse education before becoming passionate about skin cancer prevention. She loves spending time with her family of 5 and 2 dogs and grew up in the Shuswap before becoming a nurse here in the Okanagan.
Dori Garvin
MOA
Dori is the MOA at Kelowna Skin Cancer Clinic. She is passionate about her role and loves being an MOA. She enjoys working with the team of doctors and nurses at the clinic, whom she feels is her second family!
She has been an MOA for 22 years and has worked at various medical offices throughout BC. She moved to Kelowna in 2010 from Quesnel, where she was born and raised. She loves the Okanagan area and enjoys hiking in her spare time.
Rosie Tabimina
MOA
Rosie moved from the Philippines to Kelowna and joined the team in February 2022 as an MOA. She has a Nursing degree in the Philippines. She loves going for long walks and discovering new places with her family. She enjoys meeting new people and loves working here in the clinic.
