Dr Brian Warriner graduated from medicine at UBC in 1971 and initially did general practice in Powell River, BC, and Campbellton, New Brunswick, before completing his anesthesiology residency at UBC in 1980. As a research fellow at St. Paul’s Hospital Pulmonary Research Laboratory before becoming a staff anesthesiologist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, Brian had interests in several areas, including a trial involving a noncellular oxygen carrier in cardiac surgery. He was an excellent teacher of anesthesia residents, medical students, pharmacology students, and operating room nurses, and was an invited speaker at many conferences nationally and internationally. He was well regarded as a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s exam board in anesthesiology. Brian was highly supportive to a generation of final-year UBC anesthesiology residents preparing for certification exams.

Brian also contributed extensively to the administration side as hospital department head; chair of the Medical Advisory Committee; vice president, Medical Affairs; and acting president and CEO of Providence Health Care. In 2002 he became professor and head of the UBC Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics. As a leader, he was instrumental in starting the first acute pain service in Western Canada, and in bringing anesthesia assistants to St. Paul’s Hospital. He also provided the groundwork for development of Pain BC, a not-for-profit organization for patients with chronic pain. Brian also led the university department to develop the annual Whistler Anesthesiology Summit conference. As a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC Committee for Non-hospital Medical and Surgical Facilities, he improved the regulations for and inspections of private surgical clinics. He reviewed other departments, and for Accreditation Canada, he surveyed many hospitals nationally. He also surveyed several hospitals internationally. For many years Brian made annual visits to Kampala, Uganda, to teach anesthesiology and to considerably strengthen the anesthesiology residency program at Makerere University. With his support and funding, several Ugandan anesthesiology trainees came to UBC. 

In 2009, Brian was awarded the prestigious Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Clinical Practitioner Award in recognition of excellence in clinical anesthesiology and for making significant contributions to the practice of clinical anesthesiology in Canada. He retired from clinical practice in 2016. 

For many years Brian was a leader with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, taking his charges on memorable camping expeditions. 

Brian was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away peacefully at home. He will be remembered for taking time to listen to medical students, residents, and colleagues with difficulties and for providing invaluable and timely support.

A memorial fund in Brian’s name has been organized through the St. Paul’s Foundation, supporting Brian’s legacy of teaching anesthesiology in Uganda. Visit www.donate.helpstpauls.com/dr-warriner [9] for more information.
—Randy Moore, MD, FRCPC
Vancouver
—Clinton Wong, MD, FRCPC
Vancouver