The Importance of Any Size Donation: Week of March 22nd

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

I happened to wake up in the middle of the night thinking about how $10 can really help improve your day. Think about it. For $10, you can get a fancy Starbucks coffee and a snack, you can go to Wawa and get a coffee and a sandwich, you can go to the movies (unless it’s a Friday or Saturday night), you could go on Amazon and buy the Zeefo Retro LED night light you’ve always wanted or if you happen to be in Taiwan, you can buy a box of dumplings at a street side shop, a loaf of bread, 1 kg tomatoes and a dozen eggs in a supermarket. You can also contribute to the Salus Alumni fund – many $10 donations really add up quickly and if we’re going to try and establish meaningful scholarships to help offset the cost of education, this is a great way to start.  So, for $10 you can do many things – the one that might have the longest lasting impact would be an investment in our institution’s future. Just click here to see how you can make that happen.

I spent the earlier part of the week attending Thomas Jefferson University College of Population Health’s 19^th Population Health Colloquium, which featured speakers from all over the country who addressed issues involving public health, the social determinants of health, how to improve the American healthcare system (many ideas on that one) as well as discussions on compassionate leadership and what our future might hold. Every year, Dr. David Nash, the Dean of the college and a recipient of a Salus honorary degree a couple of years ago, shares what he believes are the top 12 issues that will affect our healthcare system. He calls them the, “Dirty Dozen” and I thought I’d share them with you as they touch on many of the issues we confront at Salus and many of you are confronting every day in your practices.  

1. Healthcare will be affected by a rise in consumerism to include home health, wearables and consumables. Much is already happening.
2. Medicare Advantage & Managed Medicaid will continue to be front-lines as they begin to deliver value. Outcome data will drive reimbursements. “No outcomes - No Income”.
3. Tax Reform has already created the largest deficit in American history. This will force a decrease in Federal spending, specifically in healthcare and other social programs.
4.  Precision Medicine and Population Health will become prominent practices to help save money and lives.
5. Deal making (such as mergers of systems) will continue.
6. Healthcare delivery systems will continue to consolidate.
7. Health information technology will continue to create the necessary information to improve care.
8. There will be an increase in the use of predictive analytics and artificial intelligence in the management of population health. This will lead to a rise in Population Health Intelligence.
9. Pharmaceutical industry will be disrupted with price becoming the most important aspect from a national perspective.
10. More venture capital dollars will be moving into healthcare – we’re already seeing this as private practices around the nation are being bought.
11. Workforce development in the areas of artificial intelligence, quality measurement and management through data analytics.
12. The Phillies will win the Pennant (this might be the most debatable of the 12)

Many of these will directly affect every one of our professions as time marches on. It behooves all of us to be aware of these changes and proactively move to be part of the change rather than the recipient of the changes. This is where our scenario planning exercise has provided invaluable insights that are consistent with these “Dirty Dozen” predictions. 

If you have chance, I encourage you to stop by the D’Arrigo Family Gallery in the Hafter Student Community Center to see curator Elynne Rosenfeld’s newest art display, courtesy of the Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists. It’s really very unique and wonderfully done. 

Congratulations to Anna Grasso, assistant professor in the College of Education and Rehabilitation, who has completed all graduation requirements and is now a Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS). She teaches Occupational Therapy's geriatric practice course and volunteers her time making home safety recommendations for the under-served in Philadelphia.

Help support our physician assistant (PA) students and their involvement in the PAOlympics. There is a joint fundraiser tonight from 5-10pm at Frankford Hall, a restaurant in the Fishtown neighborhood in Philadelphia. Ten percent of all proceeds for the night will be donated to PA Olympics.

Thanks to Dr. Stanley Hatch for presenting a great lecture on, “The Powerful Placebo” at this morning’s Clinical Grand Rounds at The EyeInstitute.   

PCO sponsored Dr. Ken Sorkin, immediate past president of the New York State Optometric Association (NYSOA) and Dr. Mark Parsons were on campus to host a meeting with optometry students. They talked about how to expand the scope of practice in New York, the benefits of NYSOA membership, and updates on current legislation. 

We’re almost a month away from the Centennial Gala – have you bought your tickets yet or are you a student interested in going to the after party? You can find all the information and buy tickets here! 

Just a note that Drs. Maria Parisi, Jeffrey Nyman, Richard Brilliant and Georgia Crozier and I will be speaking at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine this Sunday as part of the Advances in Interdisciplinary Eye Care interdisciplinary CE program, presented by the Moore Eye Institute.  I’ll be addressing what I believe integrated care should look like and my predictions for the future of vison care in the U.S. over the next 10 – 15 years.  I’m hoping to raise some eyebrows!

If you have a chance, get out and enjoy the early Spring weather.  Have fun, recharge and look out for one another.

Mike