Your digest

Plasma donor centre opens in Kelowna, B.C.

We’re excited to announce that our third dedicated plasma donor centre opens today in Kelowna, B.C., following our Sudbury, Ont. and Lethbridge, Alta. sites, which opened in 2020. Canadian Blood Services’ new plasma donor centres are helping to increase source plasma collection and ensure patients in Canada have consistent and continued access to the plasma-derived medications they depend on. While the new donor centre will be dedicated to plasma collection, there will be no changes to how patients in Kelowna and the surrounding communities receive blood or blood products for their care. Read more about the new centre and Canadian Blood Services’ commitment to plasma collection.

Share your feedback on health and safety in the workplace

COVID-19 has presented many new and unexpected challenges for our organization, but one thing that hasn’t changed throughout the pandemic is our unwavering commitment to the health and safety of our employees. As such, we’re pleased to announce that our ongoing prioritization of these efforts has recently been recognized through a nomination for the Canada’s Safest Employers Awards, in the category “Canada’s Safest Public Sector/Non-Profit Employer”. These annual awards recognize employers across the country for their achievements, leadership and innovation in the area of health and safety.

Now that we’ve been short-listed, the awards committee is looking for Canadian Blood Services employees to share their insights and impressions of health and safety at our organization. Please consider completing this brief and anonymous survey by July 23 to share your feedback.

New mother brings hope to patients after health emergency

As a healthy young woman, Shami Rispoli never expected to need blood transfusions. But after a C-section to deliver her son last fall, she experienced severe internal bleeding. The cause? Stomach ulcers that arose as a side effect of a painkiller she’d been prescribed.  To show her gratitude for the donors who got her through that crisis, Shami celebrated her 32nd birthday with an online fundraiser for Canadian Blood Services. “It was really important for me to make sure I was acknowledging my heroes for my birthday,” she says. Read Shami’s story on blood.ca.

COVID-19 rapid screening now being offered at eight sites

Rapid antigen screens, commonly known as “rapid screening,” can detect COVID-19 in asymptomatic people in a matter of minutes. This helps to proactively identify at-risk cases, which in turn reduces the risk of further infections and provides an additional layer of safety for our employees working on-site.

Our Oak Street site in Vancouver, B.C. is the latest location to offer our rapid screening program to on-site employees. The program has previously been implemented in Calgary, Brampton, Ottawa (Concourse Gate), Winnipeg, Regina, Dartmouth and St. John’s.  If you would like to participate in this program, you can register on the rapid screening page of your COVID-19 employee portal.

Although COVID-19 cases are declining and vaccine rates are rising, there are still benefits to participating in the rapid screening program. For more information, visit: blood.ca/employees/rapidscreening. If you have questions, please speak with your manager/supervisor or email rapidscreening@blood.ca.

Question of the day: What is Canadian Blood Services doing to celebrate Pride Day?

Throughout June, we’ve been observing and celebrating Pride Month by sharing stories and resources that meaningfully recognize the contributions of LGBTQ+ groups and individuals to Canada’s Lifeline. Now, we’re gearing up to mark Pride Day and wrap up this important month with a special, virtual celebration.

Join us on Friday, June 25, 1–2 p.m. ET for our Pride Day roundtable event: Sharing LGBTQ+ Experiences in our Workplace. During this special session, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from members of our LGBTQ+ employee resource group as they reflect on their personal experiences within Canadian Blood Services and look back on some of the stories we’ve shared throughout June.

Sign up for the Pride Day roundtable session here and discover all of our Pride-related stories, educational resources and full calendar of events at Connect.blood.ca/Pride.

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About your digest

This 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.  No access to email? No problem — all this information and more can be found on blood.ca/employees from any device, no login required.    

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