Daily COVID-19 digest

A time to reflect, to listen and to act:

Earlier today, our CEO, Dr. Graham Sher sent an email to all staff to start the discussion around how we as an organization can aspire to be better and do better in the areas of equality and inclusion. We encourage all our teams to take a moment to read it and reflect about how we can create more spaces for listening, dialogue and engagement as we move forward with these critical discussions.

We are committed to having these important and often difficult conversations with you. At our townhall next week, Graham will also be joined by Andrew Pateman, VP People Culture and Performance, to listen and speak with employees about how we as an organization are acknowledging the very real gaps we have at Canadian Blood Services with respect to diversity. We know this is front of mind for many of you, so we encourage you to send your questions in advance of Tuesday’s townhall to communications@blood.ca with the subject line “DEI”.

National Blood Donor Week:

This year, National Blood Donor Week (NBDW) is unlike any other. The annual celebration of blood donors runs from June 8-14, with World Blood Donor Day falling on Sunday, June 14. Typically, we would honour dedicated blood donors within our donor centres, with big gatherings and social events. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of life in Canada, including this week of celebration. More than ever, we’ll be relying on online tools to celebrate and thank donors — and we are counting on our teams to share that message and promote blood donation within their own networks.

As we head into next week, we will be sharing stories that highlight the continuing generosity of our donors on Connect, blood.ca, and through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. We encourage you to get involved by sharing these stories on your own social channels using the hashtags #NBDW2020 and #CanadasLifeline, and inspire your friends, family and others in your community to donate blood. We’re all in this together. Read more about National Blood Donor Week and how you can spread the word.

Stories from our frontline: Raj Damhar is an RN who works mostly with plasma and platelet donors in Saint John, N.B. He says, “we give the donors lots of laughs and colour commentary. During the pandemic our donors have been so patient and supportive. It’s phenomenal. If we stop getting donations, what happens to all those people who rely on us? I also feel that it’s kind of a privilege for me to be doing this work right now. I’m a nurse, this what I was trained to do. This is what I am.” Read more about Raj’s story on blood.ca/stories.

Some words of thanks from our donors: Our essential staff are on the frontlines every day because lives depend on it. We receive hundreds of notes of gratitude each week from donors after they have interacted with frontline employees and we think it’s important that you know how much of an impact you have made on them. Before you head into your weekend, please pause to read a small selection of their appreciation:    

It is weird that I look forward to my experiences with Canadian Blood Services. I look forward to seeing the same smiling faces (though, this time they were smiling behind masks) but still genuine. Striking up comfortable conversations and making the experience the best it can be despite the current worldly circumstances. I always make my next appointment right there and look forward to seeing them all again! Thank you to the team who visits Yorkton. You do a great job!” (Saskatchewan)

“During this COVID-19 time I was VERY hesitant to go in just because of the obvious. Now, from the moment I went in until the moment I had left the donor center - each person tending to me was gracious, kind, informative and made the overall experience that much more comfortable for me. I was provided a mask before even entering the donor center which was lovely! With how fast and efficient the whole experience was - I am confident in my donor center and I am confident about going during COVID.” (Kingston)

Question of the day: What will donor recruitment events look like as we move forward in keeping with physical distancing?

Local, in-person events are a core element of our regional recruitment programs, and our goal is to find a safe way to do them. We are working through how to keep staff, volunteers, and the public safe.

We’re also figuring out how we could turn some recruitment events into opportunities to connect with people digitally and avoid gatherings. For example, self-typing blood kits could be mailed out to interested people. Work is ongoing, and we’ll have more information in the coming weeks and months.

 

About the daily digest

This daily digest will highlight the latest policy and employee support measures, resources to help you manage our new reality and original content like articles and videos to remind us that what we do matters. Things are moving quickly, so you can expect to hear from us daily. No access to email? No problem — all this information and more can be found on blood.ca/employees from any device, no login required.

Click here to read past editions of the daily digest.

Have questions? Check out blood.ca/employees or email us at communications@blood.ca.