Heart to Heart Magazine - Winter 2015

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2 heart heart Winter 2015

Life at BioBridge Global

Inside:

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New EDQ Coming

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Man on a Mission

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Life on a Mobile Drive

Meet Diana Davis

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Get on the Bus

TABLE OF CONTENTS Get on the Bus

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Find out what life is like on a mobile drive

Features

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Meet Diana Davis Donor shares her journey

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A quarterly magazine for team members of BioBridge Global

Luis Lopez

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Linda Myers

On a mission for Lily

EDITOR David King CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS STAFF Jason Alvear Isabel Campos Madeline Chalk Roberto Esquivel Laura McGinnis Angelica Sandoval Mary Uhlig

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Inside This Issue:

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Team Member Q & A................................. 06-07 BBG events.............................................. 10-11 News....................................................... 12-13 Announcements....................................... 14-15

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BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

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

Heart to Heart is published online and printed quarterly, in September, December, March and June.

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

Our Core Values Respect: Honoring the dignity of each person and the value of our resources Integrity: Conducting business with honesty and fairness Excellence: Completing all tasks with distinction

LETTERS AND NOTES |

From the desk of the CEO When it comes to being a leader, there are few skills more important than the ability to listen.

Sometimes, people tell you exactly what they think. Sometimes, they say everything except what’s on their minds. And sometimes, how they say it is how you find out what they really mean.

At BBG, we wanted to make sure we were listening to everyone who worked here, which is why we went back to Great Place to Work® and set up another employee survey this fall.

Last year, we listened to your responses, and we started working on organizational changes. We also saw that almost half of you didn’t respond, which sent us another message. As a result, we have been working harder to improve communication, from listening to responding to engaging.

Apparently, we made some progress, since 78 percent of you took the survey this year, with participation up in every business unit. More than four in five team members in BBG and STBTC responded.

I’m anxious to see the results and to explore ways to address your suggestions and ideas, as well as your complaints and your praise.

Listening to voices from across the enterprise is important for building an engaged and dynamic workforce. It’s critical for getting everyone working in the same direction. And it’s vital for following through on our guiding principles, our newly established vision and mission statements.

So thanks for responding. Rest assured, we were listening.

Linda Myers Cheif Executive Officer

Our Vision Statement To be a global leader in human cellular services

Our Mission Statement

We love an event, and a week of events is even better

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f you peek a little deeper inside – and I certainly hope you get all the way to page 13 – you’ll discover that we’re planning another week of events around the BBG Summit.

This time, your Corporate Communications team is pairing the semi-annual reports from our executives with the launch of a campaign to increase platelet donations.

We hope the promise of a little fun might get you out to hear some important stuff from the people making big decisions about what will be a big year for the whole organization.

So we’re launching Platelet Power Week on Monday, Jan. 25, along with the BBG Summit.

Tuesday, we’ll be walking the halls, looking for people who know their platelet trivia.

Wednesday of that week will be Hat Day, complete with prizes.

Thursday will be Platelet Power Premiere Day, where we’ll show off the videos we’re making to promote donations, as well as getting you to vote on the best hats.

Friday will be Superhero Day. We want to see your Green Arrow T-shirt, your Superman cape, your Wonder Woman outfit. A certain gigantic blood drop – yes, the 6-foot-8 incarnation of Harry Hemoglobin – will be ambling around the complex.

Here’s a big hint if you want to win the admiration of your friends and coworkers during Platelet Power week: Learn your platelet trivia. You never know when you might be accosted and asked a question.

OK, Monday and Tuesday.

Be ready to answer questions Monday and Tuesday.

And get ready for yet another big week.

- David King

To save and enhance lives through the healing power of human cells

BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

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COVER STORY |

Get on the Bus:

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Life with a Donor Services Mobile Team

xtra early mornings are to be expected of many South Texas Blood & Tissue Center technicians who head out on the mobile buses to collect lifesaving blood products.

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Starting their days hours before the sun comes up is just part of the job for the dedicated technicians who collect the blood of hundreds of donors across South Texas every day.

Some out-of-town drives, like those in Laredo, can sometimes merit staying in a hotel the night before to accommodate such an early

BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

start. But many of the early mornings take place here in San Antonio with drive start times as early as 6 a.m.

It was just another one of those early mornings on a Saturday at 4:30, rolling out for the kickoff of the Donation Celebration blood drive in November. “Each morning, I get to work about an hour early, eat some breakfast, check to sign any new SOPs and head out on the bus to our drive,� said Lilly Sandoval, who has worked at STBTC for more than a year as a Technician I and has

developed an understanding of how many of the mobile drives function.

“We tend to stay pretty busy out in the field. It can be very hectic, but it depends on where we are set up and how many buses. Especially with a group of well-experienced techs, it can run really very smooth.”

In order to keep up with the expanding need for blood, Donor Services has hired dozens of new technicians to assist the current staff with collecting blood from donors at both the fixed sites and on mobile units.

If you work around other parts of the enterprise, you may not see too many familiar faces in the Donor Services department because many of them are traveling every day to help bring in the blood supply. Especially on mobile drives, the teams that work together change constantly, allowing seasoned employees and new employees to get to work with

each other.

“I haven’t seen them in months,” Sandoval said of her coworkers Courtney Arsuaga, also a Technician I, and Lacey Campbell, a Technician II, who were working the Donation Celebration mobile drive as well. “It’s pretty mix and match and varies based on our schedules and the drives we work.”

Campbell and Arsuaga have also worked at STBTC for more than a year and have had some great experiences while working with the mobile units.

“We get more donors with some of the incentives we have,” Arsuaga said. “The drives with gift cards and giveaways, there are a lot more people.

People just love the T-shirts, too; they will trade in their gift card just to get our blood donor T-shirt.”

Campbell says she is continuously inspired by the altruism of the donors, and she makes an effort to donate blood when she can as well. Though Arsuaga and Sandoval said that their height and weight put them below the donation eligibility requirements, they both say that seeing that giving spirit is a big reason why they love what they do.

“There is a lot of work that goes into our jobs,” Campbell said. “But in the end, it’s worth it because we really are saving lives out here.” n

It isn’t always an easy job, but our mobile teams do a great job day in and day out. ­— Brian Clark Director of Donor Services

MOBILE DRIVE FACTS: uS TBTC conducts 2,020 mobile blood drives annually throughout South Texas. uT he mobile operations team operates a diverse fleet of vehicles including 17 donor coaches, eight large box-trucks with hydraulic lift-gates and three full-size vans. u For

each blood drive, there are more than 300 supply items that must be stocked. The Donor Services logistics team has gone more than 160 days without missing a single supply item. u I n October Donor Services achieved a new record for the mobile team performing the highest number of automated turns in STBTC history.

BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

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YOU SAID IT |

What do you like most about working at BioBridge Global?

I do a lot of the new employee orientations, bringing all the new people in and getting them set up. It’s definitely a fun job, I think it’s great. You get to interact with so many people.

—Eric Guajardo Quality assurance trainer QualTex

What we do is for the community. We’re here to service, and I love it. That’s why I’ve stayed. I love my job and I love the people I work with. Everybody has been great to me for years.

—Sara Lopez Autologous directed consultant STBTC

What I like about what I do is that we make a difference every day in somebody’s life somewhere. We don’t know where, but we do save lives. That’s what I take home every night.

—Davood Tokmedash Senior cord blood data specialist GenCure

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BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

YOU SAID IT | I’m a busy gal, but that’s the story of everybody around here. I like the fact that I am able to utilize some of what I learned in school. Blood bank was my favorite subject when I was getting my lab scientist degree. I just like the challenge. It’s definitely not boring.

—Tesha Mason Product management quality manager STBTC

It’s never the same, it’s a challenge. Primarily for cord blood because we’re entering the units down there, so they can be helpful for people with cancer and leukemia. We’re serving a big purpose because the units that can be selected can be selected worldwide.

It’s helping around the world.

—Robert Stork Cord blood data specialist GenCure

I like helping people out in all senses, whether it’s helping out reviewing paperwork for plasma testing or helping people out here to do their jobs. Knowing our help is going to help people down the road.

—Julio Benavides ITS technical specialist BioBridge Global

It’s different each day. Obviously we’re doing research and there’s always a challenge, always something that’s not going exactly right. You have figure out the problem. You get to use your brain. It’s problem-solving.

—Zeke Butler Research scientist QualTex BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

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FEATURE |

Marrow donor, recipient share a special connection

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n an ideal world, Diana Davis and Alex Spence never would have met.

Five years ago, Davis was a student at Texas State, studying to be a radiation therapist. Spence was part of a professional paintball team in

“ It’s hard to believe that you are so close in DNA to someone that you don’t even know. ”

Florida, the Tampa Bay Damage.

The radiation therapy program at Texas State is a major supporter of the GenCure Marrow Donor Program, signing up students for the national 8

Be The Match® registry.

Davis, who was a Be The Match ambassador on campus, enthusiastically signed up.

Her call came in 2011.

She was a match for Spence, who had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a particularly aggressive form of blood cancer.

“The same week that I was going to do the donation, I was actually doing a total body treatment on a 21-year old male with the same form of leukemia,” Davis said.

“He was in preparation for a stem cell transplant as well from a donor he didn’t know. So it’s really crazy to be on the training side of it, and then to be the donor.”

As is the Be The Match policy, Davis and Spence knew few details about each other during his treatment. Davis said she was particularly curious because they both were 23 years old at the time – and because she was a better DNA match than Spence’s brother.

“It’s hard to believe that you are so close in DNA to someone that you don’t even know,” Davis said. “It’s very strange. You wonder, ‘Am I going to look like this person?’ because their DNA is close.”

They finally were connected late in 2014, when Spence was fully recovered.

BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

But their meeting had to wait, as Davis was diagnosed with a serious infection of the colon in January. She lost more than 30 pounds in just a few months, and at one point required around-the-clock care.

Her family organized a fundraiser for her in Houston in May, and as a surprise they invited Spence. They met for the first time on May 31.

“It was very emotional because he had said that I helped him, I saved his life, I helped him in his time of need,” Davis said. “And now he was coming to help me in my time of need.” n

FEATURE |

Luis Lopez: Brownsville native recognized for efforts for bone marrow registry

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n the last five years, Brownsville native Luis Lopez has developed into the region’s biggest advocate for the GenCure Marrow Donator Program and the Be The Match registry.

Lopez was spurred by the search for a bone marrow match for his daughter Lily, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He worked tirelessly to register potential donors throughout the region, and even after Lily’s passing in 2014, his efforts continue.

Through his work, more than 1,800 names have been added to the registry. His focus has been the underrepresented Hispanic community, where it is much more difficult to find a match for a bone marrow transplant – which is a key part of therapies for blood cancers like leukemia. Hispanic donors make up only 10 percent of the national registry, whereas 61 percent of registered donors are Caucasian.

On Nov. 6, Lopez’s efforts were recognized at a meeting of the National Marrow Donor Program, where he received the organization’s 2015 Awareness Award.

A week later, he was the keynote speaker at the GenCure Marrow Donor Program’s Donor Appreciation Dinner. His speech is online at the BioBridge Global blog, under “A father’s mission continues.”

He summed up his efforts:

My daughter’s mission has become my mission.

“The day we left our home to drive Lily up to San Antonio for her experimental bone marrow transplant is a day I will never forget. We talked about turning back and returning home if that was what she wanted. But Lily wanted to go forward. She knew the enormous risk she was about to undertake, but she also knew that the doctors were going to be able to learn a lot from her in the process. She took comfort in the fact that someday, other children’s lives might be saved because of experimental treatments that she was about to endure. Lily made the ultimate sacrifice and wanted her story and her situation to somehow make a difference someday in the lives of others.

“So, now my daughter’s mission has become my mission so that no other child will be left without a marrow donor.

Even though my daughter is no longer with us, I do not stop looking for marrow donors. It is my hope that together, we can save the lives of many children and adults who will need marrow transplants. Cancer can hit our families at any time, young or old. Saving a life can be as simple as donating cells from your blood. It is a beautiful gift!” n

BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

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EVENTS |

Celebrating 90 gallons Longtime donor Marcos Perez III received an even bigger welcome when he reached No. 720, an even 90 gallons, in October.

Welcome to the First Floor Characters from the 13th Floor invaded the company and were given a warm greeting, despite their demeanor.

Happy Halloween Judges give a close look at the competitors for most-creative costume during the Halloween Potluck event.

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Plates for everyone Team members enjoyed a free lunch and entertainment at Hispanic Heritage Day in October.

EVENTS |

Lighting up the night Team members from across the enterprise took part in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Light the Night event in downtown San Antonio.

Smile and say ‘zombies!’

Zombies from Six Flags Fiesta Texas put a fright into the staff during a visit in October.

A toast to quality Twenty-seven team members from departments across the enterprise were honored at the Quality Awards Luncheon, the highlight of Quality Month at BBG.

Donor appreciation Jacob and Desirée Mousseau visit with Ileana Reyna and her daughter Sophia Miuccio at the GenCure Donor Appreciation Dinner. Reyna’s marrow donation in 2014 helped save the 4-year-old’s life.

BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

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NEWS |

Read all about it!

BBG taking a new approach to customer service for 2016 As part of BioBridge Global’s journey toward becoming world class, the organization has embarked on a path to dramatically improve its approach to providing quality service to both customers and donors.

In 2014, BBG identified some gaps in the organization’s processes to support customer service. One area identified and targeted for immediate improvement was the need for a systematic approach to listening to customer and donor feedback, capturing concerns, and resolving issues in a timely fashion.

BBG committed in the fourth quarter of 2014 to developing an enterprise customer feedback process and supporting customer service at the enterprise level. The resulting initiatives will both enhance customer and donor satisfaction and drive continuous improvement.

During the first half of 2015, each of the business units invested significant time and effort to map out their customers’ and donors’ touch points. By June, each business unit had identified where and how to most effectively listen and capture feedback. By September, the units came together to define a common and effective approach to resolve concerns in a way that will enhance the customer/donor experience and help the organization improve over time.

Currently, BBG is working on developing enterprise tools to better equip and empower employees to provide highquality customer service.

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Among these new tools are the Celebrating Great BBG Customer Customer Service Service Academy training program, In each issue, we will highlight SalesForce.com one business unit’s great customer for customer feedback. relationship management, STBTC CUSTOMER & improved voice DONOR QUOTES architecture and realignment of positions to focus Each member of the on customer staff was very nice and accommodating of my service. time while donating. Will STBTC Donor definitely keep coming Recruitment and back.

Donor Services ­— Donor from STBTC have volunteered Donor Pavilion to pilot the new approach during the first quarter of 2016, and the Great experience overall, loved the friendly organization is technician who assisted working hard to me during the whole develop relevant process. I will definitely be training and back again soon. technologies to help the unit go ­— Donor from STBTC live.

Westover Hills It’s an exciting time, as we will be introducing more sophisticated methods to engage with our customers and donors, provide top-tier customer service, and improve satisfaction both externally and internally.

Keep an eye on eConnect for project updates. If you have any questions or have a view of the frontlines of customer service and would like to share your perspective, please contact Anne Thompson, Director of Marketing, at x1990 or anne.thompson@biobridgeglobal.org.

NEWS |

STBTC to launch new electronic questionnaire system in 2016 The new electronic blood donor questionnaire system known as Donor Doc is on track to launch in 2016, with the rollout of the system to start with the fixed sites, then progress to the Donor Pavilion and mobile drives.

The system, produced by Haemonetics, is designed to streamline the questionnaire process by allowing donors to answer questions electronically, typically on a portable touch-screen device like a tablet.

Eventually, all of the donor’s information will be stored in one profile within the system, including tracking information about individual donations.

Team members from the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center and BioBridge Global have been working on the rollout and the implementation, as well as visiting centers already using similar programs.

“We’ve seen systems at a site in Kansas City, and one in Denver, and the people at those centers really like it,” said Nicholas Haan, the project manager. “We got good feedback.”

As the rollout dates draw closer, representatives from Haemonetics will come to San Antonio to train staff on the system. Those team members will in turn become the trainers for all the system’s users.

Mobile drives will be connected to the system via 4G LTE, with connections for two different carriers to assure connectivity.

The paper questionnaire forms, which will be reformatted to match the electronic questionnaire, always will be available as backups.

Platelet Power coming to BBG in January As part of an effort encourage donors both inside and outside the organization to donate, the week of Jan. 25-29 has been designated as Platelet Power Week at BioBridge Global.

The week also will include the biennial BBG Summit, updates from each of the executives on the state of the enterprise and the business units.

Platelet Power Week will feature platelet trivia contests, as well as the premiere of the videos that will be used to support the campaign.

Other activities will include a best-hat contest, to be judged by the attendees at the premiere of the videos, and a superhero-themed day.

There will be gifts and door prizes, including specially designed platelet donor T-shirts, throughout the week.

The goal of the campaign is to spur interest in platelet donations among BBG team members and then expand the campaign to audiences across South Texas. The campaign will also be live on social media through the hashtag #PlateletPower.

New software on way for SOP development, signatures One fixture around virtually every office at BioBridge Global will soon be going away – the SOP signature form.

When Regulatory Affairs/Quality Assurance implements the Title21 Document Control Solution, anyone who is required to review an SOP will be notified via email, and signatures will be electronic.

Brief training sessions for all team members will be

scheduled in December. They should last no more than 30 minutes.

System administrators were trained in Title21 in November, and there will be training for anyone who needs to write or modify SOPs next year.

Title21 will be available to any user through a work computer.

BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015

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ANNOUNCEMENTS | Work anniversaries

Birthdays Irvin Richard Elliott Jr. .......................... 28 Larry Charles Franzoi Jr. ..................... 28 Brenda Lee Strege .............................. 28 Robert J. Hudson ............................... 28 John Michael Strickland ...................... 29 Tracy Michelle Sommer ....................... 29 Monica Gomez Garcia ........................ 30 Lesther West-Garcia ........................... 30

February December

Elisa Coronado Jimenez ....................... 1 Mintesnot Ashebir Shenefe ................... 1 Christina Nicole Garcia ......................... 1 Joseph E. Hernandez ........................... 3 Tangi Cherie Herring ............................. 3 Christopher Joseph Gracia ................... 3 Rachel-Louise Beddard ........................ 4 Kelli Lynne Riggins ................................ 4 Michelle Erin Downs ............................. 4 Irma Isaura Ramirez .............................. 4 Melinda Yvette Slason .......................... 4 Michael Joseph Shearn ........................ 5 Daniel Pena .......................................... 5 Manuel Patlan Jr ................................... 5 Millie Jo Christopher ............................. 6 Felix Dorville .......................................... 7 Luis Gerardo Flores .............................. 7 Elizabeth Ellen Waltman ........................ 8 Lorine McDonald Pearson .................... 8 Alexa Bautista Soto .............................. 8 Tina Marie Ramos ................................ 9 Jerry William Reynolds ........................ 10 Laura Barron ...................................... 11 Melissa Contreras Villarreal ................. 12 Lewis Alonzo Flores ............................ 12 Emily Katherine Sandoval ................... 12 Richard Kevin Jackson III .................... 13 Haruna Edith Sosa .............................. 13 Christian Trace Lopez ......................... 13 Rose Marie Preciado .......................... 14 Manuel V. Alvarez ................................ 14 Dirk William Johnson .......................... 15 Robert Ruben Garza Jr. ...................... 15 Javier A. Chapa .................................. 16 Crystal Michelle Leakes ...................... 16 Gabriella Daniella Peralez .................... 17 Sylvia De La Cruz ............................... 18 Loretta Acuna-Anderson ..................... 18 Linda Kay Myers ................................. 19 Kenya Sheree Thomas ....................... 19 Nicole Marie Villalobos ........................ 19 Susan Ruth Smith ............................... 20 Gabriel Arrisola ................................... 20 Azarias Lopez ..................................... 20 Trevor Seth Locke ............................... 20 Vanessa Lane Hunsicker ..................... 20 Brent R Davis ..................................... 20 Christopher Tejada Gomez ................. 21 Bianca Quentora George .................... 21 Anna Lopez ........................................ 22 Erica Lynn Davis ................................. 23 Abigail Castillo .................................... 23 Joseph Louis Gonzales ...................... 24 Sylvia Evelyn Estrada .......................... 24 Joshua Charles Hilton ......................... 24 Mosi A. St. Louis ................................ 24 Kari Ann Hernandez ........................... 24 Ashley Nickol Castillo .......................... 24 Monica Andalon ................................. 25 Robert S. Medina ............................... 26 Krista Johnson ................................... 26 Benilde Perez ..................................... 26 Jaime A. Washington .......................... 26 Rochelle Mellard Villarreal ................... 26 Ennis Brandon Sterling ....................... 26 Daniel Deleon ..................................... 27

Amy Sue Ryall .................................... 29 Racquel Torres Moreno ....................... 29 Ezequiel Cedillo Herrera ...................... 30 Victor Arteaga ..................................... 30 Eddie Martinez .................................... 31 Bonnie Lee Maltby .............................. 31

January

Christie Flores Cardenas ....................... 1 Kora Irassema De Leon ........................ 1 Angel Marie Gutierrez ........................... 1 Evita Angelica Martinez ......................... 2 Crystal M. Orona .................................. 2 Gloria Adelina Martinez ......................... 3 Quanisha Brianda Wright ...................... 3 Yolanda Margarita Garcia ...................... 6 Dina Garza Van Hoose .......................... 7 Andrea Cooper Seiler ........................... 8 Marco Ray Morris ................................. 8 Annie Bell Davis .................................... 9 Christopher Lee Shahan ....................... 9 Walter Harry Wright ............................ 10 Eric Todd Crawford ............................. 10 Victor C. Arocha III .............................. 10 Alberto Solis III .................................... 11 Cynthia Ann Jones ............................. 11 Patricia Martinez ................................. 12 Christina Nicole McConnell-Hicks ....... 12 Edward John Perry III .......................... 13 Pamela M. Harding ............................. 13 Alicia Marie Gonzalez .......................... 13 Vicki L Barrientes ................................ 14 David Lawrence Mann ........................ 14 Alma Bertha Tschirhart ........................ 14 Benjamin G. Lopez ............................. 14 Jeremiah Joseph Vega ....................... 14 Mahmood Noorollahi .......................... 15 Rosario Araceli Perez Barrios .............. 16 Chad Ryan Brooks ............................. 16 Irene Carmela Palacios ....................... 16 Jabulani Temba Moyo ......................... 17 Mary Sue Dial ..................................... 17 Annette Galindo Garza ....................... 17 Kimberly Kay Cantwell ........................ 17 Joshua D. Morris ................................ 17 Kim I. Ivey ........................................... 18 Frederick Edward Beyer ..................... 18 Branndon J. Frail ................................ 18 Karen Lynn Leighton ........................... 19 Valerie Josefina Tovar ......................... 19 Tou L. Xiong ....................................... 21 Gabriel Castillo ................................... 22 Anne Marie Thompson ....................... 22 Micheal Hutzel Calloway ..................... 23 Charles Wilkins ................................... 24 Lavell T. Hall ........................................ 24 Debbie Evett Maxwell ......................... 24 Krystal Denice Garza .......................... 24 Sara Irene Pinilla ................................. 24 Jennie Valle ........................................ 25 Valerie Alvarado .................................. 25 Katherine Lee Carrillo .......................... 26 Samantha Gomez Ngamsuntikul ........ 26 LaQuisha Renee Hardin ...................... 26 Mary J. Cisneros ................................. 27 Benigno Lozano Castillo ..................... 27 Linda Jean Flores ............................... 27

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Gregory A. Leos ................................... 1 Annette Frances Emmons Sellers ......... 2 Ishmael NII Ahele Bonifacio ................... 2 Diana Yvonne Olivares .......................... 2 Luis Gerardo Duron .............................. 2 Elizabeth Perry Lowrie .......................... 3 Peter A. Liberman ................................. 3 Michael Shane Webster ........................ 3 Joe A. Bravo ......................................... 3 Susan J. Vance ..................................... 4 Freda L. Miller ....................................... 4 Maria D. Leos ....................................... 5 Beth Lynne Chaires .............................. 6 Veronica Villarreal Garza ....................... 6 Cathy Acevedo ..................................... 6 Theodora J Rodriguez .......................... 7 Cordelia Elizabeth Sandoval ................... 7 Jacob Morris Palmer ............................. 7 Maria Del Angel Garcia .......................... 8 Jerry Cavazos ........................................ 8 Patricia Ann Cox .................................... 9 Gloria G. Longoria ................................. 9 Ann Colleen Hamilton ............................ 9 Lydia J. Gomez ..................................... 9 Julia Maria Luna .................................... 9 Elizabeth Anne Serrano ....................... 10 Tressa E. Monroe ................................. 10 Johanna Marie Serna ........................... 11 Miguel Angel Garza ............................. 11 David Edward Jagge ........................... 12 Elvira Galang Bayani ............................ 12 Lindsey Ann Carrillo ............................. 12 Maricela Balvina Garcia ........................ 12 Zabrina Lynn Marchant Laughner ........ 13 Ericka Denise Alfred ............................. 14 Ron Christopher Chavez ...................... 16 Luz O. Nunez ...................................... 16 Rosalva Cruz-Calderon ........................ 17 Desmond Maurice Denson .................. 17 Stanley Thornton ................................ 19 Jessica Marlene Jasso ........................ 19 David Lyle Sawtelle ............................. 20 Earl Ernest Amaya Jr. .......................... 20 Steve Vasquez .................................... 20 Gilbert J. Martinez .............................. 20 Giovanna Azalea Camero ................... 20 Kathryn Irene Doctor ........................... 22 Maria Delos A. Rivera ......................... 22 Jessica Rodriguez .............................. 22 Rosa Nelia Perez ................................ 23 Lara Ruth Thedford ............................ 23 Naomi Rivera ...................................... 23 Pablo Rafeal Mendoza ........................ 24 Melissa Lana Elizondo ........................ 24 Arnold Valencia ................................... 24 Anuar Castellanos .............................. 24 Arnulfo V. Adame ................................ 25 Azalea Elvira Elizondo ......................... 25 Robert Anthony Quintanilla ................. 26 Rosario B. Martinez ............................ 26 Reilly Jo Porter ................................... 26 Rosalind Renee Daniel ........................ 27 Douglas J. Armstrong ......................... 27 Jenny M. Donato ................................ 27 Diandra Arlissa Garcia ........................ 27 Karol Lynn Valdez ............................... 27 Hector Rocha Jr. ................................ 28

December

Shevokya Hill Benton..................... 3 years Mosi A. St. Louis........................... 3 years Erline Tubbs................................... 3 years Ezequiel Cedillo Herrera................. 3 years Gabriela Aguilar............................. 5 years Albert M. Garza........................... 10 years Patricia Ann Castillo..................... 10 years Mary J. Cisneros.......................... 10 years Manuel Alvarez............................ 10 years Rosalyn S. Mitchell...................... 15 years April Anne Escobedo................... 15 years Carol A. Garza............................. 15 years

January

Crystal Michelle Leakes................. 3 years Elizabeth Ellen Waltman................. 3 years Richard Lee Juarez........................ 3 years Samantha Ann Villarreal Aguilar..... 3 years Theodora J. Rodriguez.................. 3 years Angelica Sandoval......................... 3 years Ann Margaret Catron..................... 5 years Melodie May Montgomery........... 10 years Irene Carmela Palacios................ 10 years Daniel Pena................................. 10 years Myrl A. Abbott............................. 10 years Norma C. Morales....................... 15 years Rose Marie Preciado................... 15 years Joseph Gonzales......................... 20 years Rosario Hernandez...................... 35 years

February

Rene Lopez Jr............................... 3 years Marco Ray Morris.......................... 3 years Danny Rodriguez........................... 3 years Janae Latrese Thurmond............... 3 years William J. Fahey............................. 5 years Karmen Martinez James.............. 10 years Alisha Cleopatra Rivers-Gabriel.... 10 years Carlos R. Rodriguez.................... 10 years Anna M. Orosco.......................... 15 years Elizabeth Marie Lavoie................. 15 years

Births Employee Name: Oluwafemisi Avalos Child’s Name: Elijah Victor Avalos Date of Birth: Aug. 28, 2015 Weight: 6 pounds, 8 ounces Length: 19 ½ inches Employee Name: Melody Valdez Child’s Name: Paige Lucia Date of Birth: Sept. 8, 2015 Weight: 8 pounds, 3 ounces Length: 21½ inches

ANNOUNCEMENTS | New hires (Through Aug. 5) Loren Michelle Kesinger........................Executive Administrative Assistant Taisha L. Redding.................................Laboratory Technologist Shannyn Arthur Lee King Jr..................Technician I Selest Rose Sanchez............................Technician I Jessica Renee Thibodeaux...................Technician I Brenda Lee Strege................................Technician I Alma Bertha Tschirhart..........................Laboratory Quality Manager Gabriel Castillo.....................................Buyer I Tangi Cherie Herring.............................Laboratory Technologist Julia Maria Luna...................................Technician I Melanie Michelle Jaime.........................Technician I Kristina Michelle Montgomery...............Technician I Jacquetta Dawn Dierlam.......................Technician I - Driver Christopher Joseph Gracia...................Laboratory Technologist Sanjuanita Lizeth Muniz........................Technician I Lacey Ann Lennox................................Technician I Dennysa Marie Medina.........................Technician I Jean Claudette Madrid.........................Technician I Amanda R. De La Garza.......................Technician I Alexander Charles Roberts...................Donor Recruitment Consultant Salvador Eduardo Pulido Castaneda....Technician I Anna B. Gonzales.................................Component Processor I Emily Katherine Sandoval.....................Technician I James R. Randle..................................Assistant Director, Donor Support Services John Eric Reyes....................................Technician I Jerrell Benefield....................................Laboratory Technologist Ruben Valdez Jr....................................Procurement Surgical Specialist/ On Call Miguel Angel Garza..............................Laboratory Technologist Eli Gonzales..........................................Hospital Service Representative Tonya Marie Rush.................................Laboratory Technician Christopher James Reiter.....................Process Specialist Ishmael NII Ahele Bonifacio...................Clinical Laboratory Scientist GA John W. Roberts...................................Technician I Natasha Sudhir Patel............................Technician II Nikolette S. Ortegon.............................Laboratory Technician Jessica Morua......................................Laboratory Technologist Corinne Kirkwood.................................Technician I LaQuisha Renee Hardin........................Technician I James Ray Burnell................................Technician I Felix Dorville..........................................Hospital Services Representative I Ursula Alvarado....................................Learning & Development Specialist Adrianna C. Garcia...............................Technician II

Steven James Hilton.............................Technician I Tyronika Bird Wright..............................Technician I Jessica Rodriguez................................Laboratory Technician Josue Chavez Juarez...........................Technician II Cilla Olateju Abiola Agbator..................Staff Accountant Joseph E. Hernandez...........................Senior Mgr, Application Development Jeffrey Merle Oldenettel........................Senior Mgr, Information Technology Evan Michael O’Mahoney.....................Senior Mgr, Enterprise Business Systems Alyssa M. Persinger..............................Technician I Ariel Renee Lopez................................Technician I Jory J. Stewart.....................................Coordinator - Non Driver GA Elizabeth Tefera Gebremariam..............Clinical Laboratory Scientist - IRL Tech Juan Pablo Gutierrez............................Procurement Surgical Specialist/ On Call Tonya Corletta Richardson....................Laboratory Technologist Jessica Yvette Garcia...........................Laboratory Technologist Edwardo Antonio Valdez.......................Laboratory Technologist Pedro Robles Jr....................................Technician I Maribel Carreon....................................Technician I Lorine McDonald Pearson....................Technician I Grace Boyd..........................................Technician I Kiall S. Averitte......................................Technician I Jessie Enid Mena.................................Technician I Richard Kevin Jackson III......................Component Laboratory Technologist Ashley Nicole Garcia.............................Hospital Service Representative Mahindra Nath Varma...........................Senior Mgr, Business Excellence Jeffery Peter Schell...............................Hospital Services Representative I Jermaine Edmond................................Rogers Hospital Services Representative I Sarah Kimberly Johnson.......................Administrative Assistant, Product Mgmt Kristy Ellen Skeet..................................Laboratory Technologist Ryan L. Connor....................................Tissue Distribution Technician I Heather Ashley Speck..........................Cord Blood Specialist Courtney Patrice Burkley......................Clinical Laboratory Scientist GA Emanuel Salgado.................................Staffing Coordinator Derich Andrew Romero........................Clinical Laboratory Scientist - IRL Tech Megan Lynn Phelps..............................Clinical Laboratory Scientist - IRL Tech Ernesto Campos Cano Jr.....................Voice Architect Genny Marlene Matthews.....................Laboratory Technician Abigail Castillo......................................Nurse Coordinator Gabriella Daniella Peralez......................Technician I Jose Angel Meave IV............................Component Processor I Friday Nkonyeasua Enwefah.................Laboratory Technologist Quortney Danyel Coleman....................Laboratory Technician

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Ryan Farias...................................... Project Coordinator Patrick Porter................................... Director, Talent Acquisition Theodora Rodriguez......................... Lead Inventory Support Specialist Azarias Lopez................................... Senior Tissue Processing Technician Pedro Martinez................................. Tissue Center Production Manager Denise Alva....................................... Tissue Center Quality Specialist Michael Cardenas............................. Senior Tissue Processing Technician Brent Davis....................................... Tissue Technician I Jose Sanchez................................... Tissue Technician I Erin Butler......................................... Quality Assurance Specialist Alicia Sanchez.................................. Senior Quality Assurance Specialist

Yvonne Blalock................................. Senior Quality Assurance Specialist Michelle Fults.................................... Cord Blood Data Specialist Valerie Tovar..................................... Laboratory Technologist Christopher Shahan.......................... Laboratory Integration Manager Silmary Rodriguez............................. Laboratory Supervisor Eric Guajardo.................................... Process Integration Manager Luis Vega Barreto............................. Cellular Therapy Compliance Specialist Quanisha Wright............................... Quality Specialist Ezequiel Herrera............................... Laboratory Supervisor Jacob Palmer................................... Quality Specialist Luis Duron........................................ Quality Specialist Jorge Veliz........................................ Compliance Specialist Bianca George................................. Lead Laboratory Technologist Shanell Williams................................ Laboratory Supervisor Sample Management Eddie Ensor...................................... Business Integration Specialist Anjali Patel........................................ Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist Reilly Porter...................................... Apheresis Technician Kari Flores........................................ Administrative Assistant, Donor Services Amy Garcia....................................... Quality Assurance Specialist Lisa Juarez....................................... Lead Staffing Coordinator

Certifications Chris Johnson, director of corporate materials and services, earned the status of Certified Professional in Supply Management from the Institute for Supply Management.

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NEWS |

Salute to our veterans

Veterans from across the enterprise were honored for their service with ceremonies on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Activities included the presentation of the colors by the Edison High School JROTC, a speech from CEO Linda Myers and a video of veterans talking about their experiences.

The video is available on the Connect for Life YouTube channel, YouTube.com/ConnectForLife, under Videos.

Connect with us Share story ideas or what’s going on in your department by calling Corporate Communications at 1520.

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Send your items to David King.

in 16 BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL | HEART TO HEART | WINTER 2015