Your Digest

Doing the right thing: corporate social responsibility at Canadian Blood Services 

At Canadian Blood Services, what we do matters, but how we do it also matters. Corporate social responsibility is about putting people and the planet first in our operations, and we want employees to help shape this program and its priorities. Our corporate social responsibility journey is just beginning at Canadian Blood Services, and we want your voices and opinions to help determine what is most important to you, as an employee. Watch your inbox on May 18 for the email invitation to participate in our employee survey, and visit Connect to learn more about corporate social responsibility and your role as a key stakeholder.   

Celebrating our leaders  

Each year, the leaders of our organization gather to discuss the upcoming year's work and priorities. During the recent three-day virtual 2022 CEO Leadership Summit, nine leaders were celebrated for exemplifying our Leadership Commitments and leading with their head and heart. Four leaders received the CEO Leadership Award of Excellence, and another five leaders were recognized with the Ian Mumford Leadership Development Award. Visit Connect to read about some of our exceptional leaders and their work.  

Corporate smartphone usage   

For those employees who use a Canadian Blood Services-assigned smartphone, you are encouraged to review your plan details, data restrictions and roaming processes. As employees begin to return to the office and more travel is occurring due to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, there has been a significant spike in costs on our corporate plans due to increased data usage from streaming and using devices as hotspots, and from roaming fees incurred during travel. Our IT department reminds users of the Acceptable Use policy and signed device acknowledgements for corporate smartphones. While using your corporate phone, please check to ensure you are on a Wi-Fi network as much as possible, especially on Teams calls. Please note that an IT ticket must be submitted for all travel, outside of Canada, requiring the use of your corporate phone (search data roaming in the service catalogue). This will be approved by your manager, due to the potential costs incurred from using data and roaming services. Visit Connect for details on your smartphone plan. If you have any questions, please contact mobiledevicesupport@blood.ca 

More plasma donor centres coming in 2023 

We’re pleased to announce that three more dedicated plasma donor centres will open in Spring 2023. The new centres will be located in Abbotsford, B.C., and St. Catharines and Vaughan, Ont. Demand for plasma to make medications called plasma protein products is rising due to the growing number of conditions these medications can treat. That’s why we’re working to significantly increase Canada’s plasma supply to meet patients’ needs today and into the future. The centres will build on the success we’ve had with plasma donor centres in Sudbury, Lethbridge, Kelowna and Brampton — and later this month in Ottawa. We will be closing the St. Catharines blood donor centre this winter, and discontinuing mobile events in Abbotsford next fiscal year, as we transition to plasma in both communities. Read more on Connect.  

Question of the day

We recently celebrated National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week. How are discussions on the Organ Donation and Transplantation Governance Committee proceeding and do you see the role of our organization in the OTDT community changing significantly based on those discussions?  

The goal of Health Canada’s Organ Donation and Transplantation Collaborative (ODTC), of which Canadian Blood Services is an integral partner, is to improve collaboration and remove barriers within the organ donation and transplantation system, to ensure that Canadians have timely and effective access to quality donation and transplantation services. As the national coordination agency and a key partner in this critical initiative, Canadian Blood Services is actively engaged in the ODTC’s five working groups, each of which focuses on one aspect of the system in which it is expected that high-impact change can be achieved: Decision-making and Accountability (aka governance), Data System and Reporting, Deceased Donation, Living Donation, and Interprovincial Organ Sharing. Many of Canadian Blood Services’ team members, including our senior leaders, are also active members of the ODTC’s steering committee and its coordinating committee.  Several OTDT team members are also participating in and supporting ODTC projects aimed at driving improvements at the system level. 

Progress is being made, and the ODTC will likely announce its final recommendations for the system in the near future.  These recommendations may impact elements of Canadian Blood Services’ role. At this time, recommendations are still being shaped, including those related to a future governance model for the ODT system in Canada. However, there is considerable confidence that Canadian Blood Services is well positioned to continue to lead pan-national collaborative efforts that will generate solutions for the system and improvements for patients, working alongside provincial programs, services and our valued system partners. 

About Your Digest

This digest highlights the latest policy and employee support measures, resources to help you manage our new reality and original content to remind us that what we do matters. This information can be found on blood.ca/employees from any device, no login required.

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