Heart to Heart Magazine - Spring 2016

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2 heart heart Spring 2016

Life at BioBridge Global

Inside:

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The Question

10-11

Donate Life Month

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Meet Maria Garcia

Making an Impact

4-5

Robles Brings Experience to GenCure

table of contents Making an Impact

4-5

Guillermo Robles brings his expertise to GenCure

Features

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The survivor Maria Garcia

10-11 Donate Life Month

Opportunities for giving

A quarterly magazine for team members of BioBridge Global Chief Executive Officer Linda Myers Editor David King Corporate Communications Staff Jason Alvear Isabel Campos Madeline Chalk Roberto Esquivel Laura McGinnis Angelica Sandoval Mary Uhlig Julie Vera 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.

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Inside This Issue:

03-16

Team member Q & A................................. 06-07 BBG events................................................... 09 News....................................................... 12-13 Announcements....................................... 14-15

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BioBridge Global | heart to heart | Spring 2016

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

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

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

Letters and Notes |

From the desk of the CEO Of all the report cards I get, two are of particular importance right now: One is our progress on customer service, including getting you the tools and training to provide exceptional service.

The other is the results of the Great Place to Work survey, which you’ll be seeing soon in company-wide meetings. (For more information on meetings, see eConnect.)

After all, it’s a way for me to hear what you think, to find out your perceptions of the organization, our culture and our leadership.

It’s your opportunity to be heard, and in 2015, you took that opportunity: The response rate was 78 percent, up from 59 percent in 2014. Every business unit had a significant increase in participation.

One of the biggest story lines we received from GPTW was that virtually everyone has a strong and personal connection with our mission. You feel like we are an important part of the community, and there is a strong sense of teamwork in many parts of the enterprise.

I was thrilled to see that, and I’m committed to building on your sense of mission for the organization.

Many of you also report high levels of satisfaction with your work and the organization, though the results show satisfaction varies across the enterprise.

There also is a feeling that the organization still operates in silos, hindering our ability to work as an enterprise, and that communication at many levels is still an issue.

Those are areas where I am taking a personal interest. I want to make sure we all know how we’re working together and how we all fit into the big picture at BioBridge Global. Our Employee Engagement Committee, which will report to me four times a year, is a big way we are addressing your concerns.

Fortunately, our experience with the Great Place to Work survey doesn’t end with the survey results. The way the survey was constructed allows us to take the results and develop meaningful solutions quickly and effectively.

We’re already working to improve communications, including our meetings about the study. We’ll also be taking a close look at how we all communicate, striving to make it much more of a two-way experience.

In addition, we are developing plans to strengthen and empower our managers, including communicating with them better, providing them with adequate resources and recognizing achievements by managers and their teams.

The recommendations also include specific instructions for those of us at the highest levels of the enterprise. One recommendation was for BBG executives to examine our philosophy about people and then review how we apply our core values when dealing with you every day.

We’ll be doing that on a regular basis going forward. And rest assured, I’ll be working to produce an even-better report card from you in 2016.

Linda Myers Cheif Executive Officer

Continuing the pursuit of great stories

I

n my dozen years of writing at the Word Factory – the sports department at the San Antonio Express-News – a big part of my job was finding great stories.

The pursuit of those tales took me from snowy mountainsides in the Italian Alps to snowy desert in Midland, from minor league baseball playoffs to the World Series, from a farmacia in Nuevo Laredo to the library at Texas State University.

It always was an adventure, which is why this job is so much fun. I don’t have to get on a plane, drive six hours or rescue my truck from an impound lot to find and write interesting stories. They’re all around us.

Take, for example, our feature this month. It would be difficult to find a better topic than Guillermo Robles: A thoroughly trained, composed and methodical 27-year-old from the Rio Grande Valley, helping make the organization better while doing a job that requires a serious amount of mental toughness.

There are also our stories about donors and recipients.

Maria Garcia, one of our biggest community advocates, walked in our door one day with a plate full of holiday cookies, full of life after recovering from two life-threatening illnesses. It was a joy to write about someone who gives thanks every day.

Even the shorter items are fun.

Your response to our question, “What do you do outside work that your coworkers may not know?” yielded some real adventures.

As always, if you have an idea, send it along.

- David King

BioBridge Global | heart to heart | Spring 2016

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Cover story |

Making an impact Robles brings expertise to GenCure tissue center

G

uillermo Robles knew he could make a difference when he came to the GenCure tissue center as a tissue recovery team lead.

He had the training. He had the experience.

He had the ability to communicate the technical requirements of the job. He jumped in and went right to work, sharing those skills with members of the team.

But until recently, he hadn’t fully realized the impact he had made.

He was at a tissue recovery, handling paperwork and bagging. Two of the techs were doing the actual collection, explaining their procedures to a new member of the team.

“I was at the back table, just watching,” Robles

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said. “I was surprised, because every time they said something, it was like I was hearing myself.

“That was a pretty nice feeling. My two technicians were teaching what I had taught them three or four months ago. That made me realize I was doing something good around here.”

Robles joined GenCure a year ago when the company acquired Allograft Resources from the University of Texas Health Science Center, bringing his experience in tissue collection, as well as his background as a surgical nurse.

But the move almost didn’t happen. As Allograft Resources was rolling into GenCure, Robles was preparing to accept another job offer. Then he heard from Jim Glick, tissue services director for GenCure.

“We knew Guillermo had extensive experience in tissue, and we knew about his background,” Glick said. “He was somebody we wanted to have as a team lead.”

Robles, who has a degree as a surgical nurse from the Universidad Tamaulipeca in Reynosa, Mexico, started working for Allograft Resources in the Rio Grande Valley. Three years ago, Allograft asked him to move to San Antonio to be a team leader.

And for the past year, he’s been a team leader for GenCure.

“I started doing changes here, training and educating people about surgery,” he said. “Little by little, it’s showing. My job here is to train, educate and improve the ways for tissue recovery.”

Tissue collection isn’t an easy job – he said it took him a week or more to overcome his first experience in recovering tissue, which with GenCure mainly involves bone, ligaments and tendons from deceased donors. Dealing with death can be stressful, as can the on-call schedule, which can take teams all over South Texas on short notice.

“You have to be strong-minded,” Robles said. “Once you start doing it, you realize you’re trained, you know what you’re doing.

“You always want to pay that respect. When you go to school, they teach you to take care of the person. And even though they have passed away, you still pay that respect.”

That approach is one of the things about the 27-year-old that impressed Glick.

“Guillermo brings a high level of professionalism to the job, and that’s the approach we want to take every day,” he said. “His approach and his experience rubs off on people, and he’s a good teacher.”

Robles’ surgical experience – he also worked in a kidney transplant center – is invaluable. Tissue is removed using surgical procedures, and it is replaced – “reconstructed” is the word Robles likes to use – with prosthetics. Handled with the proper care, those recovered tissues can help dozens of patients with everything from bone reconstruction to knee surgery.

“You remember that the tissue might be coming back to you,” he said. “You never know, five years down the road, you could break your ankle and you might need some kind of graft. You do the job like it’s for a family member.” n

GenCure follows a specific set of procedures during the collection of tissues, working to prevent any contamination throughout the process. The workflow also includes thorough and complete recordkeeping from beginning to end.

BioBridge Global | heart to heart | Spring 2016

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You said it |

What do you do outside of work?

In this edition, we asked people across the enterprise to tell us something about themselves that their coworkers probably didn’t know.

Here are some of their responses: Julie Philpott T i s s u e s e r v i c es develop m en t c oordin ator, Gen Cu re

Julie has been an avid knitter for nine years after picking up the hobby from a friend. She makes a wide variety of items, from simple projects like blankets to custom hats and caps.

Some people go on pub crawls,” she said.

“There’s a thing I go on called the Hill Country Yarn Crawl, it’s for all us geeky knitters. We go to yarn shops in and around the Hill Country every October. Geeky, I know.”

Will Keener P roj e ct m a n a g e r , B i o B r i dg e G l o ba l

Keener grew up in Corpus Christi, pretty much on the water, and he competes in several statewide fishing tournaments every year. He owns a 24-foot pontoon boat, which he refers to as his sanctuary. He also has some in-the-water experiences as well.

One of my childhood dreams was to surf the Pipeline in Hawaii, which I was able to realize while on a temporary assignment in the Air Force,” he said.

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BioBridge Global | heart to heart | Spring 2016

You said it |

Ursula Alvarado L e a r n i n g an d Develop m en t Sp ec ia lis t, BioBridge Globa l

Ursula has been a regular volunteer for Grateful Hospice for the last five years, helping take care of patients three or four times a month. Her duties can range from simply sitting with patients to helping create digital memory books by interviewing them about their lives.

My dad and uncle were hospice patients,” she said. “I personally got to see and experience how remarkably the hospice professionals provided direct care.”

Dick Elliott Hos p ita l s er v i c e s r e p r e s e n tat i v e, STBTC

Dick and his wife, Barb, are avid volunteers for Gold Ribbon Rescue, the golden retriever rescue society for Central Texas.

The organization has established a network for sheltering, rehabbing and placing the dogs in permanent homes. It also promotes responsible dog ownership and provides a way for golden retrievers owners to meet.

Sharon Beales C o r d b l o o d p rogra m s p ec ia lis t, Gen Cu re

Sharon has been a member of the San Antonio Choral Society for almost 20 years. The society performs from four to six concerts a year, and last year it sang the National Anthem at a Spurs game and appeared twice in concerts at the Tobin Center. She also has been active in community theater since 1998, appearing in productions at multiple venues, and she has performed with the San Antonio Lyric Opera. In addition, she has been the soloist for naturalization ceremonies at the Institute of Texan Cultures, with the Army Medical Corps Band, for the last seven years.

Theater and singing have been a passion for me since high school, and after having my kids, it was nice to find ways to still be able to perform, even here at BBG,” she said.

BioBridge Global | heart to heart | Spring 2016

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Feature |

Maria Garcia: Coming back for more

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aria Garcia already had battled her way husband took a photo of themselves with the notification through one life-threatening illness a halfand hung it in their house. She also launched her own decade before, so when she was diagnosed social media campaign, building a Facebook network and with cancer in 2014, the San Antonio native encouraging friends all over the country to donate blood was ready to let the disease take its course. and blood products.

“I’m 71 years old,” “I say if you she told her family.

If you can’t donate, then you have to encourage cannot donate, “I’ve had a good encourage people those who can to go donate – donate to save life.” to donate,” she said. lives.

I am proof, my life was saved.

But her daughters “If you can’t donate, talked her out of then you have to it. She had surgery encourage those in late 2014, followed by chemotherapy and radiation who can to go donate – donate to save lives. I am proof, my throughout much of 2015. She lost her hair, didn’t want life was saved.” to eat and admits she went months without “feeling like And lives around her are enriched as well. n myself.”

But by October, she was done with the treatments, and she was feeling better. By December, she was baking dozens and dozens of cookies, delivering them all over town – including to multiple offices at BioBridge Global and the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center.

She was back indeed.

Following her first illness, an immune disorder that causes the spleen to destroy the body’s platelets, she became well known at STBTC. Her treatment had included multiple transfusions of platelets, so she wanted to thank the people who donated them as well as encourage more people to give. She made public service announcements, posed for posters and appeared on local television shows.

“I was able to do simple tasks once again because of the platelet donors,” she said following her recovery in 2009. “I think they have hearts as big as Texas if they can think of somebody else and donate.”

Cancer was an even bigger challenge. Not being able to get out and do things for herself was discouraging, as was the uncertainty of her future. It was hard on her entire family, she said.

That’s why when she got the all-clear, she and her

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Events |

Wrapping up 2015 Team members from the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center show off their certificates at the STBTC End of the Year Celebration.

World Stem Cell Summit GenCure and QualTex both were well represented with booth space at the World Stem Cell Summit in Atlanta. That’s Sarah Champlin on the left and Amy Ryall on the right.

Rodeo Breakfast There’s nothing like Rodeo Breakfast and free tacos to get people out early in the morning.

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Feature |

Celebrating Donate Life Month at BBG

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ne theme always seems to shine through GenCure works with Donate Life to register Texans for when it comes to donors at any of the posthumous organ and tissue donation, and the GenCure BioBridge Global subsidiaries: Helping others tissue center recovers musculoskeletal, vascular and first. cardiovascular tissue as well as tendon and skin, which are From those who give blood products as part then processed for transplant. of a regular routine, to those called to save a life via stem The center provides tissue recovery, processing and cells, to new mothers asked to donate cord blood, everyone distribution of tissue allografts for hospitals and clinics. The understands the need to be part of something bigger than tissue is made available to doctors across South Texas and themselves. around the world “My friends don’t My friends don’t see the importance of giving, for graft material, see the importance and I just don’t know why,” said Marcos Perez III, transplanted into of giving, and I just patients ranging a San Antonio postal worker who has donated don’t know why,” said from burn victims more than 90 gallons of blood and platelets in Marcos Perez III, a to those suffering San Antonio postal the past 40-plus years. “One donation saved my from bone worker who has trauma and spinal life a long time ago. I want to give back.” donated more than dysfunction, to 90 gallons of blood restorative implant and platelets in the past 40-plus years. “One donation saved dentistry, to a multitude of other orthopedic procedures. my life a long time ago. I want to give back.”

The center processes more than 100 types of tissue The commitment to selflessness is year-round, but those components for transplant. donations are recognized specifically in April, which is Additionally, the tissue center’s bereavement program National Donate Life Month. holds community events and provides educational resources There are plenty of opportunities for donations at for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one and are BioBridge Global. considering tissue donation. Transplant recipients are active

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Feature |

in events honoring those who have donated.

The GenCure cellular therapy center collects peripheral blood stem cells and mononuclear cells for autologous transplant and research worldwide. The center collected 85 units for transplant last year from donors throughout a multistate region, donors who came from as close by as San Antonio and as far away as Oklahoma.

“If you’re ever in this situation, I would encourage you to do it,” said Robert Rademeyer, who has been called three times to donate stem cells at the GenCure cellular therapy center. “If you can save a life, you should.”

The GenCure Marrow Donor Program works in partnership with the Be The Match® registry, recruiting donors from across South Texas to match with recipients across the globe. The center added more than 19,000 names to the registry in 2015, making a special effort to boost the population of under-represented minorities in the database.

One of the most touching moments of 2015 came when one of those donors got to meet her recipient for the first time. Ileana Reyna took vacation time to donate bone marrow for Jacob Mousseau in 2014, and there was not a dry eye in the room when they met at the Donor Appreciation Dinner in November.

“There aren’t words to express how happy I am to have you in my life,” Reyna told the 4-year-old boy, his mother and his grandmother, who traveled from Michigan for the meeting. “I’ve been waiting for this moment since the day I got the call.”

GenCure also operates the Texas Cord Blood Bank, collecting, processing and storing umbilical cord blood donated by new mothers after healthy births. Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, which can be used as an alternative to bone marrow transplant when matches

have not been found. Last year, 48 cord blood units collected by GenCure were sent for transplant around the world.

Another success story via the cord blood bank came in late 2014. A.J. Salazar, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia when he was 4 years old, started college in the fall – thanks in large part to a cord blood transplant, cord blood collected when his sister Brianna was born two months after his diagnosis.

“They’re stunned every time I tell the story,” said Roxanne Salazar, their mother. “Brianna can’t believe she actually helped save her brother’s life. We explain to him what happened, and that Brianna gave him a second chance.”

The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center collects whole blood, plasma and platelets for transplant into victims of trauma, as well as patients undergoing treatment for cancer and those undergoing surgery.

In 2015, more than 100,000 donors walked through the doors at the seven fixed sites and thousands of mobile drives across South Texas to donate and help save hundreds of lives.

“You never know when it’s going to hit you, when you’re going to need the help,” said Maria Garcia, who received multiple units of platelets in 2008 when she was being treated for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Since then, she has been active on social media, encouraging everyone she knows to donate blood and platelets – even while undergoing treatment for cancer.

“If you cannot donate, encourage other people to donate,” she said. “That’s what I do.”

Anyone who has dealt with BioBrodge Global professionally knows about the organization’s commitment to both promotion and education about donations. But it takes committed donors and their thankful recipients to really make events like Donate Life Month special in San Antonio and beyond.” n

BioBridge Global | heart to heart | Spring 2016

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News |

Read all about it!

Meeting mania: Etiquette, room tips Anyone attempting to have meetings is going to face certain challenges.

But there are some tips to scheduling meetings at BioBridge Global that should help the process run more smoothly: • I f possible, schedule your meeting in Outlook calender in a conference room in your building first. If there is not a room available, schedule an appropriate conference room in another building.

• Try to use a manager’s office if a meeting involves 2-4 people to help conserve conference space.

• Be aware of how many people can be seated in each room, whether or not the tables and chairs can be rearranged and what kind of A/V equipment is available.

• Bring any supplies that might be necessary for your meeting and take them with you when you are finished.

• Leave the conference room as you found it by turning off the A/V equipment, cleaning the dry erase boards and rearranging the tables and chairs to their original positions.

For chair and/or table setup for larger rooms, you can submit a request through ePAC. For technical support in larger rooms, you should submit a ticket through Track-It.

Here are the commonly used meeting rooms in San Antonio, their approximate capacities and technical capabilities:

Headquarters Building I-10 Conference Room First floor (across from elevators) Seats 10 Phone, A/V QT Admin Area Second floor, QualTex Executive Offices Seats 10 Phone, A/V Classroom A Third floor across from Facilities Seats 20-30 N/A Classroom B Third floor across from Facilities Seats 20-30 Phone, A/V Library Third floor across from QualTex offices Seats 10 Phone

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Donor Pavilion Donor Pavilion Classrooms 1-6 First floor across from Mobile Team area Seats 150 or can be partially booked Phone, A/V DR Workroom Second floor near Telerecruiting Seats 12 Phone Tower Tower Enterprise Tenth floor outside of main offices Seats 24 Phone, A/V Tower Tenth Floor Conference Room Tenth floor inside main offices Seats 14 Phone, A/V

News |

BBG undergoes changes, additions in leadership The end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 have brought multiple changes on the executive level at BioBridge Global, beginning with two new chief operating officers.

Edward “Ward” Carter was chosen as the new COO of QualTex Laboratories.

He has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry and was well acquainted with QualTex through his positions with Abbott Laboratories.

Becky Cap was named the new COO of GenCure after joining the organization as vice president of business development in 2015.

She has more than 20 years of experience in the health care industry, including extensive experience with life sciences and technology entrepreneurship communities.

Sean Thompson, who was the interim COO at GenCure, will serve as vice president for business development for BioBridge Global, with a focus on opportunities for GenCure in regenerative medicine.

Tom Johnson was hired as executive vice president for sales and marketing, managing sales and marketing team members from all the subsidiaries.

Linda Rapp has joined the organization as executive director of the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, following a long career with the American Red Cross.

STBTC is taking the lead on the new customer service training On Feb. 18, Donor Services and Donor Recruitment representatives attended Learning and Development’s Customer Service Training pilot program. The interactive session focused on the communication, characteristics and processes needed to provide the best donor experience.

STBTC’s participants were quick studies and shared a lot of their own best practices for providing great customer service.

Meet Victor Alaniz, the STBTC Customer Service Go-To Guy Victor Alaniz has served as STBTC’s customer service specialist for more than a year in what he describes as an evolving role. Donor feedback, whether received on site, through surveys or by phone calls, is forwarded to him to input the data and address the complaints. “It’s challenging but it’s definitely worth it to ensure donor satisfaction,” Alaniz said.

BioBridge Global | heart to heart | Spring 2016

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Announcements | Birthdays

March

Lindsey Noelle Jenkins................................................. 1 Jenaro Martinez............................................................ 2 Fanyin Wang................................................................. 2 Victor Joseph Russo.................................................... 2 Juan Pablo Lee............................................................ 2 Hattie Tazarra Alexander............................................... 2 Claudette K. Smith....................................................... 3 Zulay R. Bello............................................................... 3 Christine Higgins.......................................................... 3 Matteo Ferrel................................................................ 3 Maria Olga Riojas......................................................... 4 Will I. Thomason........................................................... 5 Cynthia Rohrbach Preston............................................ 6 Tundra Lachell Harper................................................... 6 Adrianna C. Garcia....................................................... 6 Guillermo Burciaga Robles............................................ 7 Denise Anne Rowe....................................................... 8 David Vallejo................................................................. 8 Lorena Perez................................................................ 9 James Charles Chadwell............................................ 10 Marie C. Gonzales...................................................... 10 Damon I. Lee.............................................................. 10 Sherry J. Wine............................................................ 11 Beatrice Hernandez.................................................... 11 Vanessa Ann Padilla................................................... 11 Cecilia Canyas............................................................ 12 Eric M. Guajardo......................................................... 12 Derich Andrew Romero.............................................. 12 Robert Michael Beal................................................... 13 Michelle Lynn King...................................................... 14 Jennifer A. Hutchings................................................. 15 Christopher Ward Putnam.......................................... 15 Crystal Torres............................................................. 16 Undra Thomas............................................................ 17 Albert M. Garza.......................................................... 17 Victoria Flores............................................................. 17 Anna Rosalie Ochoa................................................... 17 Madeline Chalk........................................................... 17 Levi Sammy Esquibel................................................. 18 Daniel Ezekiel Warlick................................................. 18 Vilmary Esperanza Rojas............................................ 20 Michael L. Boyden...................................................... 20 Albert A Ruiz............................................................... 21 Jessica Ann Medina................................................... 21 Davood Parvaneh Tokmehdash.................................. 22 Sanjuanita Lizeth Muniz.............................................. 22 Amy Marie Garcia....................................................... 22 Bryan Edwin Bronaugh............................................... 22 Jose Rangle Sanchez................................................. 22 Arissa Dee Frazier....................................................... 22 Kathleen Felder Heath................................................ 23 Mary Rohmer Uhlig..................................................... 23 Harsha H. Patel.......................................................... 23 Belinda Anna Flores.................................................... 23 Sofia Guadalupe Sanchez.......................................... 23 James Ray Burnell...................................................... 25 Friday Nkonyeasua Enwefah....................................... 26 Samantha Ann Mann.................................................. 26 Inez Nicole Streeter.................................................... 28 Ricardo Robles........................................................... 28 Bergette Mische Le Onasis Gardner........................... 28

Rashawn Ernest Lee................................................... 28 Thalia Jeanette Menchaca.......................................... 29 Jory J. Stewart........................................................... 30 Lacey Ann Lennox...................................................... 30 Veronica Jean Gibson................................................. 31 Tiffany E. Cook........................................................... 31

April

James Robert Glick Jr.................................................. 1 Benjamin Tovar............................................................. 1 Rosemary M. Guzman.................................................. 2 Ruben Valdez Jr. .......................................................... 4 Adela Garza.................................................................. 5 Eddie Dean Ensor......................................................... 7 Mark Richard Webster.................................................. 7 Elizabeth Marie Lavoie.................................................. 7 Luis Gilberto Garcia...................................................... 7 Susanna Naranjo.......................................................... 8 Shawn Lynette Agee..................................................... 8 Veronica Shokunbi........................................................ 9 Eli Gonzales.................................................................. 9 Judy Gwen Davis........................................................ 10 Priscilla Jean Casares................................................. 10 Julie Philpott............................................................... 11 Andrea Lynn Langwell................................................. 11 Maria Giovianie St. Jean............................................. 12 Antonio Porto Jr.......................................................... 13 Jana Elaine Myers....................................................... 14 William J. Fahey.......................................................... 15 LaToya Marie Hindsman............................................. 15 Kristina Michelle Montgomery..................................... 16 Jose Alberto Faz Jr..................................................... 16 Jarvis Vanprevin Reese............................................... 17 Raymundo Georg Pineda........................................... 18 Cynthia Cordova......................................................... 18 John Eric Reyes.......................................................... 18 Luis Salazar................................................................ 19 Juan Pablo Gutierrez.................................................. 19 Jaclyn Perparas.......................................................... 20 Dora P. Sanchez......................................................... 21 Alisha Cleopatra Rivers-Gabriel................................... 21 Krystal Jean-Ann Walker............................................. 21 Grazielle Bernalourabara Pagao.................................. 21 Tonya Corletta Richardson.......................................... 22 David Royce King....................................................... 23 Jerry R. Nokes Jr........................................................ 23 Susan Elaine Highsmith.............................................. 24 Ho Jason Rolf............................................................. 24 Janae Latrese Thurmond............................................ 25 Sabrina Danielle Guerra.............................................. 25 P Ruben Romero........................................................ 27 Robert Rodriguez....................................................... 27 Michelle Lynn Fults..................................................... 27 Rita Aline Holmberg Woodman................................... 28 Emmanuel Rojas........................................................ 28 Robert Cerda Jr.......................................................... 29 Alex Garza Jr.............................................................. 29 Sarah Kimberly Johnson............................................. 29 Robert Anthony Araiza................................................ 30 Jaemi Tamayo............................................................ 30

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May

Regina Marie Stout....................................................... 1 Michael Anthony Arce................................................... 1 Venkat Narain Pokkuluri................................................ 1 Michelle Adrianne Kilgore.............................................. 1 Linda N. Smith.............................................................. 2 Wendy Lou Zachmeyer................................................. 2 Francisca Vasquez........................................................ 2 Genny Marlene Matthews............................................. 3 Adiam Ghebrekrstos..................................................... 4 William G. Brown.......................................................... 5 Ramonica LaNiece Strong............................................ 5 Deborah Lynn Brown.................................................... 5 Tracy Lynn Holder......................................................... 6 Jennifer Rose Herrera................................................... 6 Vanessa Delgado.......................................................... 6 Promise Rene Bryant.................................................... 7 Melodie Montgomery.................................................... 7 Danielle Valdez Martinez............................................... 7 Elizabeth Ramona Gonzales......................................... 8 Mary Edith Gousie........................................................ 9 Emily Jo Martin............................................................. 9 Crystal Jade Bustamante.............................................. 9 Anna M. Arce............................................................. 10 Nicholas William Haan................................................ 10 Iris Rodriguez............................................................. 10 Mahindra Nath Varma................................................. 11 Grace Balderrama...................................................... 11 Audrey O. Romo......................................................... 11 Valery Freeman-Allen.................................................. 12 Roxann M. Villarreal.................................................... 12 Erica Lee Gomez Caldera........................................... 14 Anabel Pineda............................................................ 15 Neil L. Bowlus............................................................ 15 Vicente G. Hernandez................................................ 15 James R. Randle........................................................ 16 Gerardo Sandoval Jr................................................... 16 Deborah Denice Collins.............................................. 17 Miguel Rangel III......................................................... 17 Mary C. Garcia........................................................... 18 Alfredo E. Cervera III................................................... 18 Anthony D. Piatt......................................................... 18 Arturo Jr. Lecuona...................................................... 19 Renaldo Sanchez....................................................... 20 Falisha Law Atwell...................................................... 20 Camille Anne Vega...................................................... 20 Christina Barrientes.................................................... 20 Rudy M. Rodriguez..................................................... 20 Robert E. Hernandez.................................................. 21 Victoria Lasundra Bailey............................................. 22 Michael Phillip Banks.................................................. 23 Juan Anthony Guerra Jr.............................................. 23 Rosario Hernandez..................................................... 27 Michael J. Aldana....................................................... 27 Carolina Godoy........................................................... 27 Laura Maria Reina....................................................... 27 Louis Carl Gardella..................................................... 29 Sylvia Velez Isassi....................................................... 29 Lourdes Teresa Arteaga-Cortes.................................. 31 Jesus R. Becho.......................................................... 31 Nickesha T. Anderson................................................. 31

Announcements | Work anniversaries March

Michael Alan Lindenbaum....................... 3 years Ana Maria Nunez Hernandez.................. 3 years Rosario B. Martinez................................ 3 years Stephen Michael Powers........................ 3 years Ann Colleen Hamilton............................. 3 years Jillian R. VanDamme .............................. 3 years John Jacob Escobedo............................ 3 years Shanell L. Williams.................................. 5 years Juan Francisco Cuellar........................... 5 years Robert Ruben Garza Jr........................... 5 years Mahmood Noorollahi.............................. 5 years Jessica Ann Ornelas............................... 5 years Emmanuel Rojas.................................... 5 years Jaime A. Washington.............................. 5 years Sebero N. De Leon............................... 10 years Danielle Valdez Martinez....................... 10 years Anna M. Arce....................................... 15 years Paul Moran Gonzalez............................ 15 years Mark A. Saldana................................... 15 years

April

Mohammed Alaa Sayed......................... 3 years Steve Keith Owens................................. 3 years Larry Charles Franzoi Jr.......................... 3 years Sara Irene Pinilla..................................... 3 years Victoria Lasundra Bailey......................... 3 years Beatriz Adriana Mendoza Perez.............. 3 years Alicia Marie Gonzalez.............................. 5 years Cynthia Solis........................................... 5 years Jorge Michael Veliz................................. 5 years Arnulfo V. Adame.................................. 10 years Kim I. Ivey............................................. 15 years Sara L. Lopez....................................... 40 years

May

Haruna Edith Sosa.................................. 3 years Sean David Allan Thompson................... 3 years Roxanne E. Fuentes............................... 3 years MaryHelen Escareno............................... 3 years Christopher Lee Shahan......................... 3 years Daniel Ezekiel Warlick............................. 3 years Michelle Adrianne Kilgore........................ 5 years Brenda Lee Brock................................... 5 years Luis Gilberto Garcia................................ 5 years Erin King Humphreys.............................. 5 years James Robert Glick Jr.......................... 10 years Elizabeth Anne Serrano........................ 10 years Andrew I. Quinones.............................. 10 years Donna Marie Respondek...................... 20 years

Births Employee Name: Thalia Menchaca Child’s Name: Jordan Anthony Guedea Date of Birth: Dec, 21, 2015 Weight: 4 pounds, 5 ounces Employee Name: Carlos Rodriguez Child’s Name: Lilliana Abigail Perez Rodriguez Date of Birth: Sept, 8, 2015 Weight: 7 pounds, 3 ounces Employee Name: Lisa Juarez Child’s Name: Camillo Luis Moreno Date of Birth: Feb. 2, 2016 Weight: 8 pounds, 9 ounces

New hires (Through Feb. 5) Linda Martin Rapp.....................................................................Executive Director, Blood Operations Morgan Danelle Compton..........................................................Procurement Surgical Specialist/ On Call Guy Phillippe Julien....................................................................Business Integration Director Samantha Ann Mann.................................................................Laboratory Technician Renee Lynn Luellen...................................................................Document Control Coordinator Pamela S. Amparo....................................................................Laboratory Technician Ricardo Robles..........................................................................Laboratory Technician Jane Anna Steinweg..................................................................Laboratory Technologist - MLT Desirae Orosco Gutierrez...........................................................Donor Recruitment Consultant Robert Kenneth Torres...............................................................Procurement Surgical Specialist/ On Call Darrell Lamon Moody................................................................Quality Specialist Nickesha T. Anderson................................................................Laboratory Technician Maria Giovianie St. Jean............................................................Laboratory Technician Cara Celeste S. Arancillo...........................................................Clinical Laboratory Scientist-Tech Spec Juston Alon Copeland...............................................................Laboratory Technologist Roxanna Lee Adams.................................................................Laboratory Technologist Venkat Narain Pokkuluri.............................................................Sr. SAP BPC Analyst Christina Nicolette DeJesus.......................................................Clinical Laboratory Scientist GA Fixon Abbiw Owoo....................................................................Laboratory Technician Jai Michelle Henry......................................................................Quality Specialist Laura J. Williams.......................................................................Laboratory Technologist Monique Espinoza.....................................................................Process Specialist Mark Alfred Karns......................................................................Laboratory Manager - Supply Chain Claudia E. Maltos......................................................................Abonce Lead Payroll Administrator Alfredo E. Cervera III..................................................................Director of Sales Mary Rohmer Uhlig....................................................................Corporate Communications Director Richard A. Rodriguez.................................................................Sr. Content Management Analyst Bethany Gail Urrabazo...............................................................Clinical Research Associate Liese Anne Teneyuca-Arias........................................................Employee Relations & Engagement Manager Undra Thomas...........................................................................Building Maintenance Technician Kenya D. Santos........................................................................Laboratory Technologist Lisa Perez..................................................................................Laboratory Technician Claudette K. Smith....................................................................Call Center Supervisor Jennifer A. Hutchings................................................................Technical Services Liaison Melissa Anne Walker..................................................................Laboratory Quality Manager Michael J. Aldana......................................................................Quality Specialist Becky Marie Cap.......................................................................Vice President, Business Development Thomas William Johnson...........................................................EVP, Sales & Marketing Alberto Guerra Sanchez Jr. .......................................................Corporate Account Executive - GenCure Adrienne Denise Pinchback.......................................................Administrative Coordinator Jessica Ann Medina..................................................................Technician I Gina Marie Solis.........................................................................Technician I Belinda Palacios........................................................................Donor Workup Nurse Christopher Espinoza................................................................Support Services Technician James Samuel Alolong Corrales................................................Laboratory Technologist Laura Maria Reina......................................................................Technician I Matteo Ferrel.............................................................................Cord Blood Specialist

Promotions George Garcia...........................................................................Systems Engineer Leonardo Flores.........................................................................Systems Administrator Evan O’Mahoney.......................................................................Senior Director, Business Solutions and Delivery Veronica Shokunbi.....................................................................Donor Chart Coordinator Melissa Zepeda.........................................................................Donor Chart Coordinator Heather Speck..........................................................................Collection Program Educator Trevor Locke..............................................................................Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist Friday Enwefah..........................................................................Clinical Laboratory Scientist Janae Thurmond.......................................................................Lead Laboratory Technician Amanda Villarreal.......................................................................Technician II Tyronika Wright..........................................................................Support Coordinator Lisa Kisley.................................................................................Technician III Ramonica Strong.......................................................................Manager, Business Analytics and Intelligence Annette Haga............................................................................Desktop Support Analyst Rene Vasquez...........................................................................Receiving Clerk Jessica Zamora.........................................................................Cord Blood Specialist Carlos Rodriguez.......................................................................Senior Distribution Technician Vanessa Hunsicker....................................................................Manager, Clinical Operations & Quality Angel Gutierrez..........................................................................Lead Laboratory Technician Vicente Hernandez....................................................................Lead Laboratory Technician Roxanne Morales.......................................................................Lead Laboratory Technologist Melinda Slason..........................................................................Lead Laboratory Technologist Patricia Juarez...........................................................................Technician III Cordelia Sandoval.....................................................................Technician III Cheyenne Saenz.......................................................................Technician III

BioBridge Global | heart to heart | Spring 2016

15

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