Rain or Shine? Week of May 31st

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

Greetings from Elkins Park where we are not sure whether or not to start building an ark or buying more stock in sunscreen companies – the weather has been that erratic!

While it’s been a short week, it’s also been a busy week. Our summer semester kicked off on Tuesday so we have a whole group of students both in our clinics as well as on the Elkins Park campus. While there were no midterms or finals yet (at least that I was aware of), the Learning Resource Center was pretty well populated with students catching up a bit. 

In addition to that, a new art exhibit was installed in the Hafter Center by Elynne Rosenfeld and her team. Titled "Under 20: Smallish Works by 6 Artists" the show features Florence Weisz, Sandra Benhaim, Nancy Tabas, Louise Herring, Edna Santiago and Elynne Rosenfeld. All work is under 20 inches high or wide and priced between $50 and $750. It will hang all summer and I strongly encourage you all to stop by and see it 

On Saturday, June 1, please support the PA 2020 and OT 2020 student service trip to Guatemala by stopping by their car wash in the Elkins Park parking lot from 9am - 1pm. Suggested donations are $10. 

On Sunday June 2, Salus will be participating in the Friends of High School Park's Arts in the Park event in Elkins Park. Hosted from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm at High School Park, the event will include local artists, all-day live music, crafts, activities for kids and delicious food. This is well worth stopping by and checking out all the great stuff!  

Next Thursday and Friday we will be hosting the fourth annual Salus University Resident's Day. Our residents will be lecturing on topics that include glaucoma, ocular disease, as well as other ocular manifestations of systemic disease. 

Check out our website to read one of our most recent Centennial stories about PCO's third president, Dr. Norman Wallis at salus.edu/normanwallis. Dr. Wallis was good enough to spend time with our social media staff and provided some very interesting insights into his vision for The Eye Institute and PCO.

Finally, it looks like the rain may subside for the weekend, so I encourage you to get out and enjoy some of the parks and sights. I’m planning on heading out to Forbidden Trail in Chestnut hill to get a 7-mile run in as part of my training for the Berlin Marathon which takes place in late September.  It’s been about 11 years since I’ve run a marathon, so I thought it was about time to attempt another! Have a great weekend!

Mike 

Memorial Day Weekend Message

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

I’d like to once again congratulate all of our graduates and their families. I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank all those faculty, staff and board members who participated in yesterday’s fantastic event. Special thanks to Dr. Jim Caldwell and Shannon Boss and their staffs for ensuring all the “I's” were dotted and “T's” were crossed for the ceremony. I think everyone who had the opportunity to hear Dr. Catania’s remarks had a “significant emotional event” (SEE) and will remember his pearls of wisdom. At least I hope so!

As we approach Memorial Day weekend it’s important to remember that throughout our history, starting with the American Revolution, through the horrible devastation of the Civil War, through World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and today those still fighting in Afghanistan and other places, more than a million American service members have made the ultimate sacrifice to help secure the absolute blessings of liberty for the United States and our allies globally. 

I ask you all pause to remember those who gave their last measure of full devotion so we could enjoy ceremonies like yesterday’s graduation and all those other freedoms our democracy enables. Memorial Day is not just about sales and a long weekend. With our fast and busy lifestyles, many traditions have been lost over the years that neglect to remind us of this truly important Day of Remembrance. 

Originally established in 1868, Memorial Day should serve as a day to remember those that died while serving our nation. To that end, please take a moment to remember those brave and honorable women and men who gave their lives so we all could be free, and if you know a person serving on Active Duty or who is a Veteran, please thank them for their service.

Have a great weekend.

Mike

Congratulations to the Class of 2019: Week of May 22nd

All,

Last night we began celebrating the accomplishments of many of you with the recognition of those who completed their Optometry Advanced Studies certificates. Congratulations to all those who met the requirements! Thus begins our few days of celebration! 

Today we have the Awards Luncheon followed by the Occupational Therapy program's Capstone Presentations at 5:00 p.m. in the Hafter Center and then the “big event” tomorrow afternoon.  

Graduation should be a time of celebration and pride – for our students, their families, significant others and our faculty and staff. But it also should be a time of reflection – on what’s next, how fortunate you all are to be able to help others and to finally to thank those who helped get you here.

As we prepare to launch our newest group of Salus graduates I want to extend the University’s congratulations and thanks to all of our students, faculty and staff on attaining this significant accomplishment. As you’ll hear during the commencement ceremony, graduation marks the first step you’ll take as a healthcare professional. You’ve all embarked on extremely exciting and rewarding careers and your ability to help people improve their lives is a real gift; one that needs to be cherished, honed and continually nurtured. It’s our hope and expectation that you take full advantage of all that you’ve learned during your time at Salus and apply those skills with the utmost care and sensitivity to those patients and clients you will care for.  

As I’ll remind you on tomorrow, you’ll be surrounded by all sorts of technology to assist you in doing your jobs. It will be important to remember that these technologies are adjuncts to finding the best ways to care for your patients and clients.  Remember, to treat your patients and not the technology! 

Finally, when you chose healthcare as a profession you’ve also chosen professions requiring a commitment to life-long learning. Salus will always be your academic home and I want you to think of us that way. Never stop asking questions, challenging your assumptions and sharpening your skills. We’ll all be there to help you continue to succeed. Congratulations on a job exceptionally well done – we’re all very proud of you!

MHM

Busy Week at Salus: Week of May 17

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

While most of our students are off campus this week, faculty and staff have been busy preparing for next week’s commencement activities and our quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees.

In addition to all of the above, on Tuesday, State Senator Maria Collett visited the Elkins Park Campus (see photo above) where we had the opportunity to discuss optometric scope of practice, our interprofessional teaching and learning model and our state-of-the-art facilities including the virtual reality lab. Senator Collett is a Registered Nurse and lawyer and has a great understanding of healthcare and the importance of all of our professions being able to practice at their highest levels of competency. 

Congratulations to Dr. Mitchell Scheiman, director of Graduate Programs, Biomedicine and Dean of Research, who will be awarded an honorary degree from the New England College of Optometry, his Alma mater, on May 19.

Dr. Helene Kaiser, our director of the Traineeship Program and coordinator for the Clinical Skills Course and Laboratory is headed out on a mission trip this weekend with a group called Remote Area Medical in a town called Rural Retreat in Virginia. The group provides medical, vision and dental care to those who cannot afford care. This trip is one of many that our students and faculty for all of our programs participate in during the year to support those in need of healthcare.

Yesterday, we cut the ribbon on a new satellite optometry clinic at the University of the Sciences. This project has been in the works for several months. Thanks to the hard work of Mr. John Gaal, Dr. Maria Parisi, Mr. Brian Zuckerman and many others from both of our institutions, our students and faculty will be providing comprehensive eye exams and contact lens fitting and dispensing services for USciences undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and their families at no cost to the patients. This truly is win-win for both institutions! Our local 6ABC was there to cover the event. 

Come visit our faculty and staff at the Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Festival on Sunday, May 19, where we’ll have a table representing Salus. It’s always a great event to attend and the weather should be perfect!

I’m off to Denver this weekend to spend time with our Physician Assistant colleagues as they attend the annual meeting of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Our students will be participating in ultrasound workshops and competitions as well as the annual PA Challenge Bowl, where they will compete with PA students from around the country to test their knowledge and skills. It should be an action-packed fun few days!

Finally, next week is chock full of commencement-related events starting with the Salus Awards Luncheon on Wednesday May 22 at the Presidential in East Norriton. That evening our Occupational Therapy seniors will also be presenting their Capstone projects in the Hafter Center. On Thursday we will all gather in Center City for our quarterly Board of Trustees meeting followed by commencement at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts at 2 PM. While busy, it’s always an exciting time for students and their families, faculty, staff and administration.

So, as we approach this weekend, take some time to relax, enjoy the good weather and maybe even some outdoor exercise. Take care of each other and be safe!

Mike

Finals are Done: Week of May 10th

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

We finally made it to Friday! Most of our students are done with finals (at least after this morning) and are taking some time to relax before they graduate in a couple of weeks, head off to externships or prepare to begin summer semester.
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Jingyun Wang, PhD, associate professor, who attended and presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conference last week – congratulations!

The Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) Centennial Gala on April 27, 2019 marked the official kickoff of Focus on Our Future: The Centennial Campaign. With this campaign, we are committed to raising critical private support to ensure that the impact PCO and Salus has on our students, our region, and our world is even more powerful in the next 100 years. The campaign seeks to raise $5 million in funding to enhance our endowment, increasing support for student scholarships; improve educational facilities; and bolster our community service programs. 

Learn more about the campaign and to donate. 


A few weeks ago in April, faculty and graduates of BLVS attended the Penn Del AER Conference where they represented Salus with both presentations and poster sessions. Fabiana Perla, EdD, COMS, CLVR, chair of the Department of BLVS and Francesca Crozier-Fitzgerald, BLVS presented on their exploratory study of rehabilitation services to inmates with visual impairments; and Lachelle Smith, director of the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy program and Emily Vasile, MAT, TVI, MS, CLVT, instructor, presented All Aboard: Discovering a Collaborative Pathway Toward Independent Living – How Parents, TVI, and VRTs Can Chart a Child’s Path to Success.

I had the opportunity to participate in the Temple University Fox School of Business commencement ceremony yesterday, looking at things from a totally different perspective than I’m used to. It was interesting having to sit through the ceremony, listen to the speakers and then enjoy my five seconds of fame as I walked across the stage to get my blank diploma! Apparently, Temple and most bigger schools mail your diplomas to you after the graduation ceremony. Many of you might have experienced that in undergraduate school. This practice really highlights the importance of the work that Dr. Jim Caldwell, Shannon Boss and their staff do in preparation for our commencement ceremonies at Salus. We DO give real diplomas at graduation. They’re meticulously prepared in the right order so the right students get them every time – at least that’s been the case since I’ve been here. There is much to be said for attending a smaller institution like Salus. We sincerely value and cherish each one of our students and feel honored you’ve trusted us with your education. In reflection, I’m glad I went to graduation, “walked” and enjoyed the experience as a student. This whole experience helped me to keep my perspective fresh, especially now as we get ready to launch our next class of Salus graduates in about two weeks.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your well deserved break. Have some fun, spend time with friends and family and recharge your mental batteries!

Mike

Ready for Finals: Week of May 3rd

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

Well, all the dust has settled from last weekend’s events. As I mentioned in my note to you all on Monday, it was just a fantastic weekend of celebration. We’re now putting our noses back to the grindstone with finals and other end of the year events.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Ilan Dock, from PCO class of 2021 who won the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) Quiz Bowl last weekend. He will receive a $1,000 travel grant to represent the University’s Pennsylvania College of Optometry and compete in the national Essilor ® Optometry Student Bowl – the largest student event held at the Optometry’s Meeting – in June 2020 in Washington, D.C.

This Friday evening, the Sports Vision Club will host its annual dodge ball tournament – come play dodgeball and relieve finals stress with your fellow students while learning how to protect your eyes playing sports. Prizes and bragging rights will be rewarded to the winning team. Teams will be made up of 6-8 players and it is $5 a player.

On Saturday, Salus will be participating in the Philadelphia Science Festival Carnival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We will have educational games for the public and information about the University as well as the clinics. This is a great event that we participate in every year and I highly recommend you come check out the Festival. Let’s hope the weather holds!

On a personal note, many of you know I’ve been enrolled in an MBA program at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Well, the end of that is also here as I will be graduating next Thursday! It’s been an unbelievably challenging yet rewarding experience. If you’re wondering if I’m going “to walk”, the answer is yes. It’s been over 40 years since I’ve done that, so I thought it was about time to see what things looked like from another perspective and besides, it will make me much more empathetic for those of you who are about to do the same during our ceremony later this month!

Next week, to help our students get their day kicked off appropriately, we’ll be serving bagels and cream cheese in front of the Learning Resource Center on Monday May 6th and Wednesday May 8th at 8:00 a.m. in honor of finals week!

It’s looking like it’s going to be a rainy weekend. For those who are running the annual Broad Street 10-miler, good luck and be careful. For the rest of you, get out and have some fun of your own! Be safe and look out for one another!

Mike