Celebrating Black Excellence: Osayimwense (Osayi) Ogieva, MPH, CCIP™

In honor of Black History Month, AABB News is pleased to present our “Black Excellence in Blood Banking” series. The six profiles in this series highlight just some of our Black AABB members who are making a difference in transfusion medicine, blood banking and biotherapies through their leadership, significant work and commitment to health equity. Learn more about Osayi Ogieva's DEI leadership journey and her work to create inclusive and safe spaces for underrepresented groups below.

Q&A - Osayi Ogieva

Associate Director of DEI, Canadian Blood Services

‘Creating Inclusive and Safe Spaces’

Osayi Ogieva's “DEI behind the scenes” empowers her to advocate for safe and inclusive practices for underrepresented and equity-deserving groups.

Osayi Ogieva, MPH, CCIP™, holds a Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP) designation from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) and has more than a decade of experience advancing and integrating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles and processes within health care, academic and not-for-profit organizations. Ogieva applies social determinants of health, antiracist and anti-oppressive approaches to fostering equity and inclusion in the workplace and community. She joined Canadian Blood Services in May 2022 as manager, DEI, and prior to that, worked for eight years in Alberta Health Services as senior advisor, DEI (provincial role), and diversity coordinator (Edmonton zone and area). Ogieva also provides independent DEI consultations, training and speaking engagements and has shared her expertise and knowledge with organizations such as The King’s University, Edmonton, PCL Construction, Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Association and the Alberta Therapeutic Recreation Association. Ogieva holds a master of public health (MPH) degree from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, a Certificate of Infection Prevention and Control from Queens University in Ontario, and a bachelor of science degree in microbiology from Igbinedion University in Nigeria.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE FIELD OF TRANSFUSION MEDICINE AND BLOOD BANKING?

I was born and raised in Nigeria and migrated to Canada with my parents in my early twenties. I attended a boarding school in Nigeria for my secondary education and one of my classmates had sickle cell disease. I remember witnessing her experience multiple health crises and being taken to the hospital for treatment. She was in significant pain during these crises and needed a lot of support from her classmates and roommates. Years after graduating from boarding school, I attended a university in Nigeria for my first degree. One of the first friends I made in university also had sickle cell disease.

When I applied for a role at Canadian Blood Services in 2022, I was not certain how I would combine more than a decade of experience in advancing DEI in health care organizations, my educational background in microbiology and public health, and my passion for working with communities to support the field of transfusion medicine and blood banking. I discovered within my first month as the manager of DEI that equity and inclusion play a big role in transfusion medicine and blood banking, particularly for equity-deserving communities (since then, I have moved into a new role: Associate Director of DEI). A good example is how we support people with sickle cell disease through the lens of equity and inclusion. Canadian Blood Services does this by addressing barriers that impact blood and stem cell donations from people who share similar ethnicity/ancestry and increasing engagement and education with these communities to positively impact and diversify our donor base.

Every time I sit in meetings where we discuss sickle cell disease or the positive outcomes a stem cell transplant can have on patients, I am often reminded of my boarding school classmate and university friend. They each crossed my path briefly but inspired me with their bravery and resilience. I am also reminded of many others who benefit or will benefit from an equitable and inclusive process in transfusion medicine and blood banking and the impact it will have (or has already had) on their overall health and wellbeing.

HOW HAS YOUR PASSION FOR CREATING INCLUSIVE AND SAFE SPACES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS SHAPED YOUR CAREER AND HELPED YOU MAKE AN IMPACT IN YOUR WORK?

My passion has empowered me to advocate for equitable, psychologically safe and inclusive processes and practices for underrepresented and equity-deserving groups. I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, and I always advocate for initiatives and programs to be tailored to the community. I also believe that engagement is critical for underrepresented or equity-deserving communities. We should never assume that we know their needs or what works best for them without consulting with, listening to them and making the necessary adaptations.

HOW HAVE YOU NAVIGATED CHALLENGES THAT ARE UNIQUE TO BLACK LEADERS IN YOUR FIELD? WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO KEEP GOING WHEN FACING OPPOSITION?

I have built resilience over the years by understanding and reflecting on why I continue to pursue a career in DEI. I think of the equity-deserving communities whose life and career experiences are positively impacted because of the work I am involved in behind the scenes. My cultural roots and early upbringing prepared me to navigate challenges by giving me a strong sense of identity. I know who I am, and I am very proud of every identity I have. Recognizing my allies and leveraging their support, encouragement and continued advocacy is another way I navigate challenges in this space. Finally, taking care of my mental health and wellbeing is important. There have been rare situations where I have consulted with a therapist who understands my lived experiences, my culture and the challenges I face as a Black woman and leader in the DEI space experience to develop coping strategies that enable me to thrive in the workplace.

WHAT IS THE NEXT BIG GOAL YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE? 

I would like to grow in my career and go back to school to study psychology. This is still a developing idea for me based on other factors, but it's one area I would like to study.  

WHAT BOOK HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE, AND WHY?  

I've read and loved several books, but for Black History Month, Canadian Blood Services employees are reading and discussing The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs. This book has impacted me as I can relate to some of the intersectionality discussed in the book such as gender, race, immigration, parental status, marital status, social supports and financial status and how they combine to give unique life experiences. I also love the theme of Black resilience reflected throughout the book.  

WHAT DOES BLACK EXCELLENCE MEAN TO YOU?

Black excellence to me means accepting and embracing the diverse ways Black people differ from each other but have similar experiences depending on the environment we fi nd ourselves in. It’s a sense of shared identity, shared experiences, shared resilience and shared successes and failures. Every time I see a Black person succeed, I believe it’s my success too. Whenever I see a Black person experiencing challenges, I believe I have a role to play in supporting the person. Black excellence is also recognizing the many talents of our people. From the nations in Africa to the Caribbean, to North America and Europe, we are in every space, making an impact. We do all this surrounded by “isms” such as racism. I cannot begin to imagine how much more we will achieve when these barriers no longer exist.