Chris Miskel, president and CEO of Milwaukee-based Versiti, has been leading the blood center organization through a new and uncertain environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, in 2020, the organization actually managed to increase its impact on the community.
Versiti was one of the first blood centers in the United States to start collecting convalescent plasma from individuals who had previously been infected with the virus. The donated plasma contains antibodies that can help seriously ill patients fight the infection.
In early fall, Versiti began identifying new potential donors of COVID convalescent plasma by testing all blood donors for COVID-19 antibodies. To date, Versiti, through its COVID convalescent plasma initiatives, has been able to help thousands of COVID-19 patients in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
Miskel has also worked to create an inclusive work environment in which diversity is celebrated. Internally, he has launched diversity initiatives, such as an unconscious bias training program to help Versiti better understand and identify bias, cultivate connections with others, and choose courage in the face of bias. Externally, Miskel has shared Versiti’s diversity efforts as well as the importance of diversity in blood collections.
