Dr. Dawn Tilgner joined OHSU as a registered nurse in 1976. She is currently clinical assistant professor with bariatric surgery.

Dr. Tilgner began her career as a registered nurse in renal transplant, intensive care unit (trauma, neurosurgery) prior to completing her Masters in Nursing. Following her masters, she spent many years as the department director for nursing units including neurosurgery, ENT, neurology and general medicine. In 1998 she completed her education as an acute care nurse practitioner, joining this small cadre of practitioners in the State of Oregon. Over the next several years she practiced at OHSU in the emergency department as a generalist and also as an original leader in the development of the ED observation unit.

In 2006 Dr. Tilgner added to her degrees by completing coursework at Washington State University for the Family Nurse Practitioner Program. Her Doctorate of Nursing was completed in 2010 from the University of Washington. Following the completion of the program, she continued to practice in the emergency department while teaching in the family nurse practitioner doctoral program at Washington State University.

Dr. Tilgner has presented at local and national meetings and written several articles on a variety of wide ranging topics. She continues to actively mentor and instruct nurse practitioner students in the region.

In the fall of 2013 Dr. Tilgner was recruited to her current position with the bariatric surgery team, joining an established and nationally recognized program of excellence.