Greetings from Elkins Park, where I’ve decided to put my weekly update out a day early knowing that we’re fast approaching a three-day weekend and possible bad weather.
I want to give a shout out to our Blindness, Low Vision Studies (BLVS) program in our College of Education and Rehabilitation. They just completed a very successful pilot of an online micro-credential course entitled, “Neurological Visual Impairment in Children”. The course is designed for professionals in blindness and low vision and was the first of its kind for the college. The course was so well-received that the second course offering will begin as soon as February 4.
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| Melissa Weiler Gerber |
Tomorrow, from 1 – 3 PM in S305, Salus Time will be featuring Melissa Weiler Gerber, President and CEO of AccessMatters. This organization, formerly Family Planning Council, “innovates, empowers, and works to equalize access to sexual and reproductive health care for teens and adults in need.” Their efforts and expertise allow them to engage and empower even the hardest-to-reach populations in our city and help to close the gap between those who have access to sexual and reproductive health and those who do not. Their relationships with a myriad of health care providers and strategic partners allows AccessMatters to identify opportunities and solutions where others do not. I realize this is on a Friday preceding a three-day weekend, but I would strongly encourage students and faculty to attend this very timely and important presentation. Let’s see if we can fill the room! Check out their website for more information.
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, an important time to educate the community and our patients about a disease that is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States.
As it is 2019, planning is going full-speed for our Centennial Celebration. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Salus/PCO. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry allows us to recognize the many accomplishments of our institution and our alumni, as well as the significant influence PCO has had on optometry and the greater public health since the very inception of the optometric profession. Invitations for the gala event, to be held on April 27, 2019 at the Hilton at Penn’s Landing, should be going out soon. Please help me to energize alumni across all of our specialties to participate in this landmark event! In the meantime, I highly encourage you to view our centennial website that has a plethora of stories, videos, and images from our storied history.
On Monday, we join the nation in remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What advice and words of wisdom would Dr. King give us in these times? What would he motivate us to do on this holiday — and every day? Surely, he would expect us to use this time to respect others and work to improve those lives that we are committed to care for. At Salus, we continue to value being more inclusive of all students, staff, faculty and all of our patients and clients, helping to ensure we bring equity and inclusion to all aspects of everything we do. We strive to assure that the work of Martin Luther King Jr. lives on every day in our own endeavors. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a university holiday. However, the day also is a designated day of service — “a day on, not a day off.” I hope you will take this opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the day and find ways to engage with your community on Monday to honor Dr. King’s legacy.
So, as the weekend approaches, please keep watch on the weather, especially Saturday night as temperatures are projected to drop. Enjoy your time off and please take some time to reflect on the meaning of Monday’s remembrance.
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