Heart to Heart - August 2023

On Page 1: From top left, clockwise, Emily Castillo, Analise Cervantes, Karna Mata, Peyton Tabor, Terry Tian, Kofi Bekoe and Joel Alfred.

A quarterly magazine for team members of BioBridge Global CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Martin Landon

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

Mary Uhlig EDITOR

David King

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS STAFF

Isabel Campos, Roberto Esquivel, Matthew Flores, Ashley Frolick, Diana Garcia, Amanda Lozano, Francine Pina, Catalina Ramos, Roger Ruiz, Sarah Sanchez, Angelica Sandoval, Jillian VanDamme

Published by Corporate Communications, BioBridge Global, 6211 IH 10 West, San Antonio, TX 78201.

Reproduction in any manner in whole or in part is prohibited without the express written consent of the editor.

Our Core Values

Accountability: Do our part to achieve BBG’s growth and success

Stewardship: Serve others selflessly and responsibly

Pioneer: Create and deliver innovative products and service s

Integrity: Build trust and unity by doing the right thing

Respect: Treat all with dignity and kindness

Excellence: Surpass team, customer, and community expectations

Winning Culture, Winning Team

Winning teams need a strong culture. Culture is, fundamentally, how we relate to one another. Think about your favorite sports teams: all winning ensembles are comprised of individuals who work well together. Basketball legend Michael Jordan famously said that “Talent wins games but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

As we want to enjoy our work and win championships, BioBridge Global is committed to supporting a culture of love and respect, where our ASPIRE values guide our actions, and our behaviors are focused on generating trust and collaboration. We see it here every day: a collaborative effort to strive for continuous improvement.

Richey Wyatt SVP General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer

A winning team focuses on high performance and collaboration among team members. The individuals on such a team are dedicated to achieving more and motivating each other to perform better. Like championship teams, we have purpose, vision, and skill. There is no more powerful motivator than our mission of saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. This is precisely what makes BBG a winning team: our shared mission, our focused strategy, and our hard work. The more effective our collaboration, the more we succeed.

All winning teams share some common traits.

For example, winning teams set clear goals and develop plans to accomplish their objectives, as we do annually with our strategic plan and the individual performance goals that each of us is accountable to achieve. Just as importantly, winning teams communicate effectively and celebrate the complementary skills and talents of their members. A winning culture at work ensures that people feel respected and appreciated for their efforts.

In a culture of love and respect, everyone’s voice counts. That is why we frequently ask for your feedback on engagement and employee satisfaction levels and take action to address your preferences whenever possible. The new BBG Clinic and related efforts to ensure convenient access to quality health care for all of our employees is a great example of “culture in action.”

Finally, winning teams have fun together. The recent BBG Luau in San Antonio and the Finger Painting social in Norcross were enjoyable and well-deserved celebrations of our team’s camaraderie.

Here is to our winning culture, and to our winning team!

Note from the editor

This edition of Heart to Heart includes two main stories – a visit with some of our interns from the summer of 2023 and an inside look at the career progression program in QualTex Laboratories.

They’re two very different stories, but both are worth a look. The QualTex story highlights the success of a program designed to improve employee experience and advancement – and as a result, improve employee retention.

The story about our interns shows how we have reached out to different parts of the community and worked with some bright young students from both the high school and college level.

We’re also featuring a story about the new BBG Broadcast mobile app and the arrival of the BBG Clinic.

As always, we’re open to your feedback, story ideas or suggestions. David.King@BioBridgeGlobal.org

To

INTERNS DO THEIR SHARE ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION

From high schoolers learning how business organizations work to college biochemistry majors finding a focus for their interests, interns are a vital part of BioBridge Global during the summer months.

This year, students both learned and contributed to the organization through three different internship programs.

SA WORX intern Joel Alfred is interviewed as part of a documentary about the program.

Peyton Tabor, a sophomore-tobe at Trinity University, joined the team at GenCure as part of her school’s Arts, Letters, and Enterprise Internship program. Trinity’s program connects humanities, social science, and STEM students with nonprofit organizations in San Antonio and beyond.

She interned in the process development lab under Alia Mallah, Scientist II in Process Development and Cell Manufacturing, working on cell culture and aseptic techniques. She also worked with Robert Reese, Scientist I in Process Development and Manufacturing, on processes related to stem cells used in clinical trials.

“I am majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, and I am trying to figure out if I want to work in the medical field or in the biotechnology

industry,” she said.

Her internship lasted five weeks.

Three local college students spent eight weeks as interns in Corporate Communications as part of the City of San Antonio Ambassador Summer Internship Program, which also involved professional development and networking events.

Analisa Cervantes, an English major at St. Mary’s University, returned to the organization in 2023 after being part of the Ambassadors program in 2022.

She spent the summer of 2023 researching for next year’s 50th anniversary celebrations, including developing a detailed timeline of the organization’s history and finding related photos in the archives. She also took part in interviews with current and retired longtime employees.

“I enjoyed the fact that I could combine two things I really like –writing and historical research,” she said.

Emily Castillo, who is majoring in corporate communications at the University of Texas at Austin, worked with the BBG community relations team on news releases and media advisories.

Karina Mata, a communications design major at San Antonio College, worked with the BBG digital team on content for the organization’s social media channels, including videos.

“This was our second year with the Ambassadors program, and we were thrilled with the level of work all three of our interns completed this summer,” said David King, Senior Manager, Content Development and Internal Communications, who

coordinated the program for the department. “We’ll be happy to continue with the Ambassadors program next year.”

For the second year in a row, high school students sponsored by the SA WORX program joined the organization for a six-week program. Joel Alfred from Brandeis High School and Terry Tian from Wagner High School worked with Jim Latimer, Director, STB&T Systems Integration, and Kofi Bekoe from Wagner worked with Annie Prescott, Director, Quality Systems Administration.

“Our interns are mostly getting exposure to the organization and a professional work environment,” Latimer said. “They were involved in a few small projects, including a couple of SOP revisions and El Dorado Donor configuration changes with a validation plan.”

Bekoe worked with BBG Global Quality, helping with the scanning of more than 20 years of validations and change controls into DocuWare.

“Doing this will help make validations easily accessible during auditor requests or for general review by internal staff,” Prescott said, “as well as free up a large amount of storage space in the records storage room in the Donor Pavilion.” n

Peyton Tabor worked in GenCure Process Development.

Analisa Cervantes spent the summer combing through boxes of photo archives.

QualTex career progression program

Last summer, QualTex launched a career progression program for their lab services team. Since then, they have seen a dramatic decline in staff turnover – from 39.93% to 7.1%.

The catalyst for this change in training procedure was staff feedback concerning the lack of growth opportunities for laboratory technologists. Mark Fite, SVP and Chief Operating Officer for QualTex, knew just the plan we needed, bringing in Delia Sanchez-Watkins, Senior Director of Laboratory Services, to manage the project.

“Our goal is to make small incremental changes that will add up to larger sustained improvements in the organization,” Fite said. “These improvements benefit our employees,

our clients, and more importantly they allow our organization to grow and succeed.”

Their first challenge was setting up a training system that would vastly improve staff’s opportunities for growth.

“Our staff had no levels at the time, it was just Lab Technologist, that’s it,” Sanchez-Watkins said. “In order to be a lead, you had to have six years of lab experience. With the staff we had in place, they were eager, and they wanted to be able to do more.”

With the processes in place, staff were only staying with QualTex for two years.

Sanchez-Watkins reached out to Claribel Colon, Manager Training & Admin Lab Services, to help develop a plan. Together, they broke the six years needed because of regulatory requirements into four 18-month

levels. Each level contained requisite “benches” or training in applications and techniques in each testing area to reach the next level.

“Anytime I ever have an idea for something, I go to Claribel, ‘Claribel, this is what I’m thinking – is it crazy or could it work? Go!’” Sanchez-Watkins said. “She has a beautiful way of taking something that is a very vague idea of what I have and making it something that’s completely tangible and doable.”

After getting support from the Senior Leadership Team, the team had to support the surge in training, adding two trainers. Then it was the managers’ turn.

“Now we’re solving the demands of the staff to get them to understand that they’re valued and there’s compensation coming prior to six years,” SanchezWatkins said. “But one of the other things that staff complained about is the management or the culture. So how can

program slashes turnover rate

in the techs, everything we expect from them from the behavior side – communication, work ethic, teamwork, collaboration within the department and with our customers.”

we fix that?”

They worked with Learning & Development to create an interactive training experience for managers focused on communication and culture. The training included interview skills, teaching managers how the right questions would result in the right hires. Managers also learned how to develop a culture centered on communication to keep their teams happy.

“Communication and perseverance are critical components of the career progression framework, and there have been many examples of staff going over and above to facilitate the successful implementation and institutionalization of this program,” Fite said.

An evaluation process also was developed to ensure the skillset and behaviors necessary for the next level were achieved while maintaining fairness for all.

“It’s a tech evaluation form that has a behavior component,” Colon said. “We listed all the skills were want to see

To ensure staff members feel supported and understand where they are in the career progression timeline, short one-on-one meetings were developed to ensure they were meeting these milestones.

“’What are your concerns?

How is it going? How can I assist you?’” Sanchez-Watkins said.

“Ensuring they’re aligned on what the staff’s goals are professionally and personally, so we’re taking an invested interest in them.”

Ultimately, it’s been the goal throughout this process to create an environment where staff want to be a part of something more.

“We connect together as a team,” Sanchez-Watkins said. “We fail as a team. We work as a team. We succeed as a team. We’re all one. The sample has to have all testing complete in order for that product to be able to be released. To save a life. So we’re all in it.” n

“Communication and perseverance are critical components of the career progression framework, and there have been many examples of staff going over and above to facilitate the successful implementation and institutionalization of this program,” Fite said.

NIKO PLUMAS: NEW EXPERIENCES

Many new graduates struggle to find careers within their fields, and Nikolas Plumas was no exception. He faced many obstacles –until finally was given a chance.

He grew up in San Antonio and went tp Hardin Simmons University in Abilene to pursue a degree in Biology.

After receiving his degree in 2019, he moved back home and

started researching jobs in the medical field. It was difficult for him to find a job within the field as a recent graduate, simply because he wasn’t able to meet the criteria for most jobs.

BioBridge Global was the first organization to give him an opportunity to start his new profession.

But now, he has worked his way up to his current position as a Blood and Tissue Manufacturing Technician. His job simply is “Receiving cord blood from the mothers, extracting the stem cells, freezing them and sending them out for transplant,” he says.

He loves his job as “there is always something new to be working on in the lab.”

He also believes in the organization and its mission statement.

“They are always instilling stewardship and values to their employees which represent their organization and values of the company.

Outside of work, he plays soccer leagues, softball and lacrosse with his friends.

“Sports keep me busy outside of work,” he says. n

They are always instilling stewardship and values to their employees which represent their organization and values of the company.”

Niko Plumas played lacrosse while attending HardinSimmons University.

This feature was prepared by students at Our Lady of the Lake University.

ELIZABETH REYNA CHAVEZ: : FULL-CIRCLE OPPORTUNITY

as a Blood & Tissue Manufacturing Associate with South Texas Blood & Tissue.

“I’ve always been drawn to the science field…I’ve always wanted also to be behind the scenes” she says.

At a young age she would bring insect and rock specimens inside the house because of her curiosity for science.

And when she was young, she can remember her mother wearing the T-shirt the blood bank gave her after donating.

Elizabeth Reyna Chavez’s journey at South Texas Blood and Tissue has been, to put it simply, a fulfilling and amazing experience.

“I could thankfully and fortunately say I love my job and like coming here every day,” she says.

And her motivations? “Knowing that I’m helping save lives - making a difference in my community.”

Elizabeth is originally from Corpus Christi, and she is a graduate of the Health Science Academy at Moody High School. She earned her Associate of Science degree from Del Mar Community College.

Currently she is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Cellular and Molecular Science at Texas A&M-San Antonio. She is working

“My mom has been an active blood donor for 20 years” Elizabeth says.

Her mother began donating blood because she was from a country where most patients were responsible for finding someone to donate to them – there is no true organized blood donation system in Mexico.

After one of Elizabeth’s cousins was treated at Shriners Children’s Hospital, her father, who was previously scared of needles, became an active blood donor. He has become a blood donation advocate and a regular donor at work for seven years.

Although she can’t donate at the moment, Elizabeth is following in her mother’s steps having the same compassion for others, working behind the scenes in the Components Lab.

“I would encourage people to have a learning mind, learning heart, and learning spirit because it will open so many doors,” she says. n

Elizabeth Reyna Chavez earned a degree in her native Corpus Christi and also enjoyed taking her dog to the beach.

Real Appeal – Online Weight Loss Program

Melissa Villarreal | Benefits Coordinator

If you are on our UMR medical plan and would like to lose weight, you now have a new online program available at no cost to you. Real Appeal began at BBG on Aug. 1.

Real Appeal promotes achievable weight loss goals and good nutrition. It also provides exercise tools and on-demand workouts, as well as coaching support, to help you on your weight loss journey. You even have 24/7 online access and support and a mobile app to track your progress.

Online weekly group sessions led by coaches are available for up to 26 weeks, 30 minutes each. After that time, monthly sessions are available. Participants also receive a Real Appeal Success Kit mailed to their home that includes a food scale, a body scale and a food portion plate guide.

Eligible employees on the plan and their covered dependents 18 years of age and older may participate. Eligibility rules apply.

Here’s how to get started on your Weight Loss Journey with Real Appeal:

• Have your UMR insurance card handy. You will need your Member ID and Group #.

• Have your personal calendar available to choose your weekly session day and time.

1. Go to the Real Appeal website: www.RealAppeal. com

2. Click the “Start Your Journey” button.

3. Enter your information, UMR insurance information, and answer a few questions about you.

4. Select your weekly session day and time.

Take small steps now towards a healthier you!

Welcome to the New SuccessFactors!

Laura Eickhoff | Senior Director of HR & Learning

SuccessFactors, our talent management system, is now a fully integrated Human Resources information system.

Our conversion from the old SAP Core HR was completed at the beginning of August, and now all employee data resides under one umbrella.

What does this mean for us team members? When we access our profile page in SuccessFactors, we now can see everything that pertains to us: job title, compensation, job history. Thanks to the new self-service feature, we now have the ability to edit our contact information, if our home address, phone number or emergency contact name changes.

A pencil icon on the screen will indicate those fields that we are able to update.

To change our phone number, for example, we will click on the appropriate pencil icon, update the number, select the effective date, and click on “Save.” Just three simple steps.

Please take a little time to review the new information in your profile and stay tuned for new system upgrades in the near future!

SUBSIDIARIES:

2023 United Way Campaign

Liese Teneyuca-Arias | Senior Manager, Human Resources

Our BBG United Way Campaign is almost here! Our campaign will kick off Aug. 29 and run for two weeks. Join us in the Donor Pavilion on Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. Central to hear from Marty Landon and our United Way partners.

Caring for others is a part of what we do at BBG. We care for our families, our friends, and our communities. BBG is proud to partner with United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, United Way of Greater Atlanta, and United Way of Victoria County to make a difference in our own town.

Our communities face a wide range of challenges, and in different stages of their lives. United Way works diligently to address the most critical issues. To make the greatest impact for lasting change, United Way focuses on four priority areas:

Preparing young children for life: United Way works to ensure that all children grow up in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment.

Helping students succeed: United Way aims to have all students reach math and literacy milestones, and that all young people are engaged in their community and set up for success later in life.

Strengthening individuals and families: United Way works to ensure that all individuals and families are stable, flourish economically and are self-sufficient.

Supporting people in crisis: United Way provides safety net services to assist urgent needs such as food, shelter, and emergency care.

Your United Way contributions represent a valuable difference in someone’s life. Thank you for caring about our communities. Thank you for donating to United Way. Thank you for making a difference in our hometown.

SUBSIDIARIES:

“My toolbox is large,” says the Senior Vice President, Talent and Performance Management. “But people seem to be afraid to ask me to help them.”

It’s a little odd to think members of the BBG team might be intimidated by the affable Betton, who came here in 2017 with business leadership expertise from organizations as diverse as General Electric and the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Bank.

“I’m not going to sit back, knowing people might need some help, and not get involved,” he says. “It’s been my motivation, and at times I would like to be used more as a resource.”

It’s not like he hasn’t been involved. He was one of the forces behind the BioBridge Global mentorship program, which brings together members of the senior leadership team with managers from across the organization.

“The mentorship program is designed to improve retention, but it’s also designed to increase exposure and break down silos,” he says.

Another of his passions is the organization’s annual goals, from helping develop them to tracking them. That tracking includes taking a close look what’s working to achieve them.

An example is the goal to reduce employee turnover.

“You do whatever you can do to bring in the right talent, and put them in the right job, so you don’t have that turnover,” he says. “QualTex turnover is 7%, and in my meeting with the HR team this week, it’s like ‘What did they stop doing vs. what did they start doing?’

“When you go from 25% (turnover) down to 7%, well, I haven’t seen that kind of turnover reduction in my life.”

Betton says he sees himself as the “voice of reason” throughout the organization, watching from a high level for flaws in systems and processes –and then working on ways to fix them. Just recently, he’s taken on projects from too-complicated organizational charts to an employee who had been observed breaking several longstanding policies.

And as always, he’s available for anyone.

“I got an ASPIRE Award recently from an employee, and they said there’s never been an email, never been a phone call, never been a ‘Can I meet with you?’ that I’ve ever said ‘no’ to,” he says. “That’s a great acknowledgement.”

GRANVILLE BETTON: has a simple message for the organization.

“My toolbox is large, but people seem to be afraid to ask me to help them.”

Read all about it!

Our new mobile app – BBG Broadcast – has arrived

You now can keep up with what’s happening at work anywhere and access a variety of sites with the BBG Broadcast app, brought to you by our partners at Cerkl.

It’s ridiculously easy to set up and use: Simply visit the Google Play or Apple store and search for Cerkl Broadcast. Once you download and open BBG Broadcast, you’ll be asked for your work email address. Send it along to get a one-time code via email. Enter that code and you’re there.

BBG Broadcast includes news and information from One BBG, a clickable employee email directory and a list of

currently trending news items on One BBG. The main menu also includes links to:

• Visit One BBG on your phone

• Submit a ticket to ITS, Biomed or Corporate Communications

• Submit an UpKeep request to Facilities

• Go to ADP WorkForce Now

• Listen to the Hearts Afire podcast

• Nominate the BBG Employee of the Month

You can contact the Corporate Communications team for help, or make a suggestion, through the app.

If you have responded to the “Tell Us About You” email, your experience with the app will be personalized to your preferences. If you haven’t responded, please feel free to email David King to receive a personalized invitation.

Scan the QR code with this story to be directed to BBG Broadcast in either the Apple or Google Play stores. n

GenCure, UTSA sign agreement for cell therapy collaboration

GenCure and the University of Texas at San Antonio have signed a master services agreement to collaborate on development of cellular therapy products, services and testing.

The agreement with the UTSA Stem Cell Core Lab includes two major areas. GenCure will provide starting materials for UTSA researchers to facilitate the isolation and subsequent reprogramming of adult stem cells to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

In addition, UTSA will provide testing services for materials manufactured by GenCure’s process development and cGMP facilities.

The collaboration facilitates training development, consulting services, and access to equipment and related research services unique to each site.

The agreement is an expansion of the relationship between the UTSA Stem Cell Core Lab and GenCure, which has been reinforced and developed in the context of San Antonio’s consortium of therapeutic developers and service companies, RegenMedSA.

Dr. Christopher Navara, the Director of the UTSA Stem Cell Core, which is a part of the University’s Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise has worked previously with Dr. Rogelio Zamilpa, Senior Director of

Manufacturing Science and Technology at GenCure.

Utilization of iPSCs enables consistent manufacturing of allogeneic cell therapies for a wide range of conditions. GenCure has been working on iPSC development for 18 months at its facility in the VelocityTX biotech incubator complex on San Antonio’s East Side while Dr. Navara’s group has generated more than 50 human and non-human primate iPSC lines.

“The collaboration between the two groups will aid in the translation of iPSC technology from research grade to clinical applications fit for human therapeutics,” Zamilpa said. n

THE BBG CLINIC IS HERE FOR YOU

Sal Castaneda thinks of himself as something of a guinea pig when it comes to new benefits within the organization. So when he first heard about the BBG Clinic, he called right away.

“To my surprise, they were able to book an appointment for me within hours of my request,” he said.

His surprise didn’t end there.

“I arrived at my appointment and was immediately assessed,” said Sal, who is a Compliance Specialist with South Texas Blood & Tissue Donor Services. “My concerns were addressed right away by Dr. (Roger) Moczygemba and he showed me how we also have access to an app that captures your medical information.”

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New patients at the BBG Clinic, which is located on the first floor of the Donor Pavilion, receive the link to the Direct Med Clinic smart phone app. Among multiple features, the app lets patients track their care, see test results and schedule appointments.

The BBG Clinic, which currently is staffed by Dr. Moczygemba and Care Coordinator Destine DeLeon, is open Monday-Friday. The doctor is available for in-person visits on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and tele-health visits at other times.

As Sal noted, you have to make an appointment – initially by calling or texting 210-756-2927, and then once you’re in the system, through the app. All visits to the BBG Clinic by full-time and part-time employees are free of charge, whether or not they are on the organization’s insurance. Arrangements are being made for similar care in Atlanta and Victoria. Services at the BBG Clinic include regular checkups and related tests, treatment for common health conditions, issuing of prescriptions and administration of vaccinations.

A long Q and A about the BBG Clinic is available on One BBG. And the list of first-time and returning patients is growing every day.

“It was such a pleasant, hassle-free, and time-efficient experience that I will continue to set up my appointments with Dr. Moczygemba,” Sal said. n

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Dr. Roger Moczygemba speaks at the grand opening ceremonies of the BBG Clinic.

Summertime is here

Camping it up: The theme for Camp Discovery Donation Day was Dancing Through the Ages, and the team took full advantage of the photo props.

Mahalo: Goutham Bakaram poses with Hawaiian Harry during the BBG Luau in the Donor Pavilion Auditorium.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Oct. 13: BBG Marketplace, Donor Pavilion Auditorium

• Oct. 31: BBG Fall Fest

• Dec. 1: BBG Holiday Party, Dave and Buster’s, Crossroads location

SUBSIDIARIES:

BBG Clinic opens: Debbie Maxwell visits with Dr. Roger Moczygemba at the opening ceremonies for the BBG Clinic.

Corporate Cup charge: Susan Smith leads Team BBG in the 2K walk, the first event at the Corporate Cup Field Day.