Black History Month: Week of January 7th, 2020

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

Greetings from Elkins Park where we’re not exactly sure if it’s winter or spring here! The good news is that we’ve not had any snow days and the power has remained on (hopefully, I didn’t just jinx us!)

Last week I started my update with a short discussion about mental health. I intend to keep that conversation at the forefront with some "Mental Health Minutes." This week I’d like to share some advice I found from the National Institute of Health addressing some strategies for getting enough sleep.  We all know that getting enough sleep is essential to not only our physical health, but also our mental health. Click here to learn a bit more about the importance of sleep and how to improve some of your sleep habits. 

February is Black History Month. We use this month to celebrate the achievements by African Americans and as well as recognize the central role African Americans played in U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history. To learn more about Black History Month, check out the History Channel’s site. 

The Campus Activities Committee has announced that nominations for the annual Salus Awards Gala are now open. If you know some exemplary students, faculty, and staff, this is a chance to nominate them for their accomplishments and contributions to our community. You can find the links below for both students/student organization nominations, and faculty/staff awards nominations. Nomination forms can be obtained at either of these two sites: Students and Student Organization Nominations or Faculty and Staff Nominations.

You’re invited to join the Pennsylvania Ear Institute’s (PEI) "Hear the Love" event from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, in Room W111 at the Elkins Park campus. The educational talk will focus on hearing loss and how it can impact patients’ lives and relationships. Learn about hearing aid styles and technologies currently available. Complimentary hearing screenings will be offered 30 minutes before and after the event.

Yesterday we celebrated the opening of the "Community Expressions" art exhibit at the D’Arrigo Family Gallery in the Hafter Student Center. I would encourage all of you to check it out as all of the art work has been done by staff or family members of our staff. Special thanks the Elynne Rosenfeld, our volunteer "Resident Artist" for putting this, and all our other art displays together.

In today’s politically charged and polarized environment it’s growing increasing more important to be respectful and tolerant of those who might have differing opinions than us. To help us address some of these issues, our students have been invited to attend three events hosted at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to providing an opportunity to meet other students in the city, the events will help to provide suggestions on how to hold difficult conversations on campus, online or with your families and friends. If you’re interested, you can register for the events here.

Finally, Dr. Robert Carroll will present a program on "Drugs, Delivery and Durability: The Present and Future of Wet AMD Treatment" from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at The Eye Institute.

Hoping you all have a great weekend – for those of you getting ready to take boards, study hard and good luck!

Mike