Preparing for Commencement: Week of April 27th, 2020

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

We’re preparing to enter week eight of online learning, social distancing and other things that have required a monumental change in the way we teach, learn and provide patient care.  As I’ve said before, the speed in which you all have responded to a rapidly evolving medical emergency has been impressive and very humbling. 

Later this week many of us will be recording parts of our virtual commencement ceremony. This represents another significant adjustment we’ve all had to make that puts the scope and reach of this pandemic into very personal terms as to how it has affected us all. Preparing for commencement also signals the end of many of your academic careers and the beginning of your professional ones. The next few months will present many challenges and opportunities to you as you prepare for your boards and get ready to launch your careers. We’ll be with you every step of the way. 

The next month also allows us to focus on the successful completion of our spring semester and prepare to transition to our summer semester, which will also require online teaching and learning. We’re planning, with the hope that we will are permitted to access our campus, to begin limited labs and clinical experiences, but much of that depends upon how the pandemic subsides in our region. 

Like many of our counterparts in the area, we are watching conditions very closely and developing plans that can meet multiple contingencies. Working with my President’s Council, the Dean’s Council, our Board of Trustees, as well as seeking outside advice, we have been engaged in rigorous analysis and planning for what the next academic year will look like. All of the decisions that are being made are guided by local conditions, science, safety and our mission. Our focus has been on balancing the enormous value of face to face educational experiences with our responsibility to protect the health of every member of the Salus community. Overall, our goal is to maintain the excellence for which our academic programs are known.

As we move through all this, it’s clear that no one has all the answers, especially as the pandemic crisis continues to evolve. We will always be informed by the science and local conditions and will act decisively if we need to change course to protect our university community. I want to assure you that our planning will continue and, as they have throughout this emergency, your deans and program directors will be providing program-specific guidance and details as these plans develop. While we don’t yet know exactly how all this will look, we are agile enough to pivot as conditions dictate.  I promise you that I will do everything I can to keep everyone informed.

As we do move forward, I also want you to know that, in addition to the educational component of what we’re planning, we’re also developing rigorous prevention protocols to keep everyone safe. Everything we’re doing is based on CDC and other evidence-based guidance, addressing institutional and clinic cleaning, personal protective equipment, hygiene, facility use and more.

Candidly, no one expects us to be back to “business as usual” in August. Our classes and classrooms will almost certainly look different, given the requirement to maintain social distancing and our clinics will be less populated than we’d like.

Out of adversity comes great opportunity and I see many opportunities for us at Salus. As we plan and anticipate what people are calling a “New Normal” I like to think of this as developing the “Next Normal”. PCO and Salus have always led health science education to the next level – now is our time to harness that creativity and resourcefulness that’s in our DNA and find new, innovative and even more effective ways to educate the next generation of professionals.   

We are SALUS STRONG! While we have challenges ahead of us, I have no doubt, whatsoever, that we will not only survive these unparalleled challenges, but when this ends, we will come out on the other side stronger, more resilient and able to meet our mission as we have for over 100 years. 

Stay safe and healthy, continue to practice social distancing and keep those comments coming!

Mike

Online Teaching and Learning: Week of April 24th, 2020

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

Greetings from a rainy and cool Horsham, PA. We continue with our online teaching and learning as we all shelter in place and start to model our new face masks in the interest of keeping ourselves, as well as others, healthy and safe. Even with the limited access we have to our physical campus, our students and faculty have been busy and productive.

While many of us are working from home, many faculty members from our Physician Assistant (PA) program have been on the front lines of fighting the pandemic. The majority of our PA faculty are maintaining their clinical practices in emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, women's health, urgent care, and pediatrics, in addition to their increased teaching workloads and responsibilities over the past few weeks. We are all very grateful for their resourcefulness, innovation, and tireless dedication to our students' welfare, in addition to the work they are doing in our communities to help keep patients healthy and safe. Thank you!

As you might remember from last week’s update, April is Occupational Therapy (OT) Month, so we’re trying to highlight some of the things going on in that program. For starters, our OT faculty are always trying to include wellness into their messaging to students. During her weekly online meeting with her Post- Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) students, Dr. Andrea Tyszka posed the question to her students: “How can students volunteer to help during the pandemic?” She got some great responses. 

Dr. Tyszka has been pretty busy. Her first-year OT students are in a five-hour synchronous class titled "OT Theory and Practice for Children and Youth." With classes being taught virtually, faculty realized that it is a long time for students to be sitting on the couch staring at their computer screens. Sharon Marcy came up with an idea, which was wholeheartedly supported by Dr. Tyszka, to have a "Bring Your Pet to Class Day" to break up the monotony and encourage students to incorporate their fur babies into the learning experience. There are some very interesting (and cute) pictures here!

Optometric Residency Match Day occurred in March, when future optometric residents learned which residency programs they’ve been selected for. Despite the current situation, it appears that nothing can temper the thrill of that day.   When the 2020-21 residency class was announced, there was no shortage of excitement. Congratulations to all of our new residents!

We are completing our 7^th week of online training, social distancing and sheltering in place. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of our creative, innovative and resourceful Salus Team. We’ve got a long way to go before we get back to any degree of what we would consider normal, but we’ll get there. People have asked me for a date when we’ll be able to come back to campus. My crystal ball is a bit murky on this, but given the fact that Governor Wolf has just released his plan for reopening the Commonwealth, which is based on the number of people exposed per number of people in any given county, I anticipate it will be at least 2 -3 weeks before we can have access to campus facilities. I’ve asked Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, to consider categorizing graduate-level health science education differently from other types of schools, which won’t open until much later in the process. She and her staff are looking at options and they’ve promised to get back to us. The one thing I can assure everyone is that we have developed a comprehensive plan for reopening and as soon as we get a green light, we’ll be ready to go. 

With all the things swirling around us as a result of the pandemic, you might be feeling a bit anxious, fatigued and even a bit overwhelmed by all this. Many things in our lives have suddenly changed or have been placed on hold because of the pandemic. These feelings are perfectly normal. After all, no one has been through anything quite like this in our lifetimes. Please don’t hesitate to talk to someone you trust about your feelings. Our counselors in CPPD would be more than happy to talk or just listen to you. You can make an appointment with one of them here. 

Finally, as we approach this weekend, please, if you go out and are going to be around other people, wear a face mask and maintain your social distancing. Continue with your hand washing and keeping your spirits high. While this isn’t going to end soon, it will end.

We are SALUS STRONG and moving forward, we will help to define a new normal.

Mike

Embracing the Tenets of Good Leadership: Week of April 20th, 2020

All,

Good morning. This morning’s message focuses on leadership and the importance of embracing the tenets of good leadership, especially as we confront this pandemic. As you read this, I’d ask that you please don’t read anything political into my comments, as that’s not my intent. 

All of you are leaders in your own right or you wouldn’t be at Salus in the first place. Our institution has always had the reputation of developing leaders in their respective fields.  Today’s optometric profession wouldn’t be where it is today without the leaders that graduated from PCO now and 100 years ago. Today, many of our students, faculty and alumni from all of our professions have leadership positions at the national and local levels in their professional organizations. 

There are hundreds of books written about leadership, with an equal amount of opinions about what good leadership looks like. Since many of you are about to leave Salus and begin your professional careers in what may be a challenging and often frustrating time, I want to share my views on leadership from what I’ve learned and observed over the years. I’ve had the opportunity to work with and study great leaders and also have worked under those who were less than adequate. I’ve learned from both examples. Whether you’re in direct patient care or assuming a position in your local professional associations upon graduation, you all will be looked upon and sought after as leaders, simply because of your incredible accomplishments. 

Leadership is the ability to motivate others to do what you believe should be done for your organization, with the caveat that they really want to do it. To get there, a leader must be honest, transparent, insightful, decisive and consistent to build the trust of those she or he is working with. That leader would never ask someone to do something that she or he wouldn’t do themselves. President Harry Truman is famous for having a plaque on his desk stating, “The Buck Stops Here.” To me, that’s one of the most important principles of effective leadership. What that translates to is that an effective leader takes the responsibility or blame for things that go wrong and gives the credit to their subordinates when things go right. When the situation permits, effective leaders often seek advice from others and realizes that the wisdom of several is often far superior than the opinions of one.

Leaders have another extremely important duty; and that’s to be able to deliver honest and realistic assessments in the face of a crisis, while at the same time asserting a level of optimism that enables people to perform at their highest levels through that crisis. 

Throughout my Navy career I was lucky enough to work under leaders who personified these positive leadership traits. I’ve experienced the same at Salus with the visionary leadership my predecessors and our Board of Trustees have provided in moving our institution forward. I see it now in how our faculty, students and staff who have taken on greater leadership roles as we confront this pandemic. Honest and respectful communications and the sharing of ideas have been the hallmark of what I’ve observed over the past several weeks here, which makes me extremely proud to be part of this team.

As we continue down the difficult and perilous journey of fighting the global COVID-19 pandemic, we need to remember that there is no quick and easy solution to all of this. When people ask when are we going to be able to go back to classes, labs and clinics, it’s time to exert good leadership and let tell people that no one really knows. In battle, General James Mattis used to say that the enemy had a vote and can drive the timeline– well in this battle, the virus has a vote and how effectively we can mitigate the effects of the spread of the virus drives the timeline. Until we have widespread, accurate testing, effective treatments and a vaccine, we have to remain flexible and smart. As leaders, we also have to help others understand that it’s not business as usual.  

To be an effective leader, you also must also take care of yourselves. You need to remain resilient, healthy and safe.  That means taking time for yourselves to recharge your emotional and physical batteries. We all do that a little differently, but it’s an extremely important part of effective leadership. You can’t take care of those under you if you’re not caring for yourself.  I do it through exercise and quiet time. Thus, I strongly encourage all of you to get outside, walk, run, bike, whatever; just get the blood moving. Read a book, do yoga, meditate – do whatever you need to do to clear your mind and focus on positive things. Take advantage of our counselors here if you feel like you just need to talk with someone about what’s on your mind. That’s what they are here for. I also suggest you consider organizing virtual discussion groups with your fellow classmates, professors and friends. It’s amazing what you can discuss when you bring a group of trusted friends or advisors together. 

Leadership – taking the helm and ensuring everyone who begins the journey with you ends with you. 

I encourage you to embrace these tenets as you continue your professional and personal journeys. 

Be safe, practice social distancing, wear a mask when around others and continue to wash your hands frequently.  We are SALUS STRONG! – You are the current and future leaders of your professions – embrace that responsibility and build on it!

Mike

Spanish Flu of 1918: Week of April 17th, 2020

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

Greetings again from my home office in Horsham. I hope this update finds everyone we touch healthy, safe and able to keep busy at home. I wanted to begin this update with a little history.   

During the course of the pandemic we’re currently living through we often hear references and comparisons to the Spanish Flu of 1918. As a student of public health, this was something everyone studied in epidemiology. Many of you probably already know the story, but just in case you don’t, I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version of it. For starters, the 1918 influenza pandemic was caused by an H1N1 virus that people believe had an avian origin. The first wave of the virus was initially identified in military personnel headed across the Atlantic to fight in World War I in the spring of 1918. The spread of the virus was assisted by the large movement of troops in close quarters (mostly in ships and trains). The second wave emerged at Camp Devens, an army training base and at a naval facility, both located just outside Boston. Camp Devens reported more than 14,000 cases and over 750 deaths. By the end of World War I, later in 1918, there was a resurgence of the virus as troops came home in crowded ships from Europe and scattered across the country. 

Just like today, there was no vaccine to protect people, no anti-virals and no antibiotics capable of treating the secondary bacterial infections that were caused by the virus. This went on through 1919. The end result was over 50 million deaths worldwide including 675,000 in our country. As many of you may know, the flu hit Philadelphia hardest. While the pandemic was at its peak, city leaders allowed organizers to hold a Liberty Loan parade in September 1918. Approximately 200,000 people lined the streets in support of the American war effort. The results were devastating. Within a few weeks, 12,000 Philadelphians died of the virus. In contrast, at the same time, the city of St. Louis decided to cancel its parade and imposed strict social distancing, and accordingly, suffered the lowest mortality rate from the 1918 pandemic of any major city in the United States.

Ironically, the architect of St. Louis’ public health policy was a Philadelphian, Dr. Max Starkloff, who is commonly known as the father of social distancing in public health circles (CDC, Sussman, 2020). The pandemic is often referred to the Spanish flu pandemic. The reason for this was that Spain was one of the first countries where the epidemic was first identified and as a neutral nation during the war, freely published early accounts of the illness. While the virus didn’t originate in Spain, many people believe it did because that’s where it was first identified. Because of the lessons learned from St Louis’ response to the pandemic, social distancing is the current “treatment of choice” to help contain today’s coronavirus pandemic. As we practice social distancing to flatten the curve, everyone needs to remember that it doesn’t cure the disease. That’s why it will be so important moving forward that we maintain some degree of social distancing as things start to open up around the country, until we have a viable vaccine. If people start to disregard this, there will be a rapid spike in cases resulting in more deaths. So, now you know more about the Spanish Flu of 1918 than you ever thought you needed to!

Much closer to home, we’ve started to publish Faculty Focus stories on our website. This week we’re highlighting Dr. Elizabeth Sedunov, who works at the Pennsylvania Ear Institute and Emily Vasile, who teaches in our Low Vision Rehabilitation program. I encourage you to read both profiles of these very talented and amazing women.

I’ve recorded a video for our incoming students that’s viewable on our website. The message I’m sending speaks to the fantastic work our faculty and staff have done in pivoting to an online teaching and learning environment. 

Finally, I want to thank our faculty, students and staff for their flexibility and patience as we all work through this crisis together. I know how hard this is, but as I just conveyed to our class of incoming students, this pandemic is a generationally defining event. There’s no playbook, no script and no precedence.

Not even the pandemic of 1918 resulted in the total shutdown of the country. We will emerge from this gradually, with a new normal that we’ll adapt to over time. We are SALUS STRONG and ready to set a new standard for health science education.

Stay safe, practice social distancing, wash your hands often, wear a face mask when outside and in enclosed areas such as grocery other types of stores. Have a great weekend and try to get outside to move around a bit. That always makes you feel better!

Mike

Parallels to 9/11: Week of April 13th, 2020

All,

I’ve heard many people say that the current crisis we’re all living through is this generation’s 9/11. Well, I’d like to share what my 9/11 experience was like, which might help folks gain some perspective on today’s emergency. 

My family and I moved to Okinawa, Japan in August, 2000 where I assumed command of the Navy’s largest overseas hospital. Okinawa is home to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, our quick response force in the event something happens on the Korean peninsula, Taiwan or China. It’s also home to Kadena Airforce Base, considered the hub of airpower in the Pacific. There’s also a small Army garrison on the island to help with communications and other important support missions. Our hospital was the centerpiece of the community health network on the island as well as in the Western Pacific, where our primary mission was to ensure the readiness of the entire force in addition to caring for all the family members and retired military living on Okinawa and throughout the Western Pacific. All told, we were responsible for the care of about 47,000 people on Okinawa and over 185,000 Americans living or working in the Western Pacific region.

On September 11, 2001, I was at a meeting in Tokyo along with all the other senior medical personnel assigned to the Pacific theater to get updates on TRICARE, the military’s primary insurance program and to discuss ways of improving our operational medicine missions. After a late dinner I remember heading back to my room at about 10 p.m. on that evening. My cell phone rang and it was my Director for Administration asking me if I was watching TV. Not having the TV on, I immediately hit the remote just in time to see the second plane hit the south Tower of the World Trade Center.  At that point, I think everyone immediately realized that this wasn’t an accident but rather an attack on our homeland.  I immediately called back to my command and put them in what we called Condition Delta, the highest state of operational security, calling back essential personnel and increasing security around our facilities. I also called my wife back on Okinawa to let her know what was happening. We all watched in horror as the events unfolded that horrible morning in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. To make matters more stressful for those of us who needed to get back to Okinawa, Typhoon Nari was ravaging the island.  We were actually able to get on a flight the next day, only to turn around and head back to Tokyo after attempting 2 landings in typhoon-force winds. Three days after the attacks, we finally got back to Okinawa to find life had changed. When I got back to my quarters, which was located on the same compound as the hospital, there was a Marine Corps Humvee equipped with a 50-caliber machine gun at the base of my driveway, just in case. All of the bases become armed camps because we simply didn’t know what might be coming at us next. In a short 24-hours we went from a peacetime posture to a wartime posture, resulting in people sheltering in place and essential services such as our commissary and childcare suspended for a short while. The next several weeks were consumed with security meetings, discussing operational plans and ensuring that everyone under our Area of Responsibility (AOR) remained safe. As you might imagine, it was an extremely stressful time for everyone, especially family members who didn’t know if their loved ones were going to be sent into harms way. I spent a good bit of time meeting with staff and family members to ensure that they had the most up-to-date information and to help keep everyone both informed and calm. We maintained this tempo of operations for a number of months. It seemed like it would never end, but eventually things started to loosen up and gradually, things got back to a new normal with increased security, additional travel restrictions and a much greater sense of purpose on the part of all of us in uniform. 

I see several parallels with what we’re living through today and the terrorist attacks of 9/11. We don’t know as much as we’d like to about the coronavirus, similar to our situation back in 2001.  Our lives certainly have been disrupted for our own protection. The more accurate and consistent information we’re able to get, the more comfortable we feel about the situation. We’re also waiting for a return to normal but now most of us understand that normal won’t be the same as it was about 2 months ago. The same was true back then. 

It wasn’t more than a couple of weeks ago where people were talking about the importance of wearing masks outside.  Now that we’ve seen some evidence that this might help to slow the spread of the virus, many of us adapted pretty quickly. I actually went on a long bike ride yesterday morning wearing a face mask. I’ll admit, it wasn’t very comfortable (and even a little gross) but I felt like it was protecting others and maybe even myself. 

Like our situation in Okinawa and around the world following the attacks on 9/11, the COVID-19 pandemic will have a significant impact on all of our lives, more in the short-term, but nonetheless, it will change the way we do and see things. Meeting in large groups will happen again, but not for a long while and we might be wearing our masks more often than we’d like. We’ll adapt our behavior to these changes much like we’ve adapted to increased security at airports. We’ve already begun to adapt to virtual meetings, on-line classes and other changes in our normal routines. At times it will be inconvenient, uncomfortable and often feel like a real pain. It’s our new reality - we need to adjust and move forward. 

I think we’re all very lucky to be in healthcare – whether you're teaching, learning, or in some support role – you all play a key role to ensure your patients, clients and loved ones remain safe, healthy and informed. We’re also very accustomed to adapting to new things, whether it be changes in clinical protocols or learning how apply new technologies to our practices. 

Until we have a vaccine for COVID-19 we’ll need to keep our guard up and make some sacrifices. That could take between a year and eighteen months. No large-scale events should be permitted, social distancing at restaurants and other places will be essential, even wearing a face mask when around others and when we go outside may become commonplace. This too will pass – it’s just it will take some time. 

I keep reminding you that we are SALUS STRONG – make no doubt about it, we are! Our armor is strong, but isn’t impenetrable. We have several support mechanisms to help us cope and get through all this.  Whether you rely on your family and friends’ network or want to take advantage of our network of counselors at Salus, it’s healthy and important to talk about what scares you, what concerns you and what you might not understand. No one has all the answers right now, so you’re not alone.  We will get through this together, you have my word on that!

That was my 9/11 story.  The parallels to today are clear.   As we’ve done in the past, we will come through this just fine.  We will be smarter, having learned the lessons we’ve observed along the way, we will be more resilient and we will be better prepared the next time something like this happens.  

Be safe, stay healthy by practicing social distancing, getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. Wash your hands frequently and please, keep in touch. I want to hear how you’re doing! 

Mike

Passover, Easter and Ramadan: Week of April 10th, 2020

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

Good morning from home where I, like most of you, have been working over the past several weeks. I hope that this week’s update finds everyone healthy and safe during these very uncertain and unsettling times.

April is Occupational Therapy month and we would like to take this opportunity to thank and celebrate all those OTs who are currently on the front lines, several who are working with COVID patients, fighting this pandemic, along with many of our other colleagues. 

We recently signed an articulation agreement with Immaculata creating a pathway for undergraduate students to enroll in several advanced degree programs to include audiology, optometry, occupational therapy, and physician assistant. To learn more about this, please click here.

We’ve continued our advocacy for additional assistance from the Federal government by writing to our local Congressional delegation to ensure they understood the very unique requirements our students. We are strongly advocating that graduate students be treated the same as undergraduates, making low interest federal student loans available to them and asking for low interest Perkins loans be re-instituted for graduate students.

Last week I announced that the Pennsylvania Ear Institute would begin to see emergency patients only. This week we saw our first couple of patients; one adult whose issue was handled "curbside" so that they didn't need to physically come into the clinic and the other, a two-year-old who needed earmold impressions so that he could get new earmolds ordered for his hearing aids. Needless to say, both were very grateful we could provide these services. The staff is strictly following CDC guidelines for any of these interactions. 

As I mentioned on Monday, Passover, Easter and Ramadan remind us that our life here on earth and our work at Salus takes on a special meaning during this health crisis. Being able to care for and give unto others while sheltering in place and wondering when all this will end is in our blood at Salus.   Your positive attitudes and professional demeanor will help get you through this. As I’ve said many times, this will all end eventually and we will all have learned a great deal about ourselves and others. We will be more resilient and wiser.  We are SALUS STRONG, which give us an edge no one else has. 

Finally, many of you may have seen the announcement from Governor Wolf closing all K- 12 schools until the end of the academic year. That specific mandate does not directly apply to us. We are not permitted to resume in-person instruction or reopen our campus until the closure of non-life sustaining businesses is lifted by the Governor. I wish I could tell you when that will happen, but as I’m certain you realize, it will be dependent upon the trajectory of the pandemic. I’m hopeful it will be sooner rather than later. I can assure you, as soon as we get the green light from the state, we will start moving forward with our plans to incrementally open the campus. We will continue to monitor this with the hope that we’ll be able to return to face to face training soon. Right now, I know faculty is planning on programs continuing with online training through the summer semester. 

Tanis and I wish you and your loved ones a peaceful and hopeful holiday weekend. Try to get out and enjoy some of the sunshine, of course, wearing your masks and practicing social distancing at all times! Be safe and stay healthy!

Mike

Sacrifice, Discipline, Miracles and Traditions: Week of April 6th, 2020

All,

Today marks the beginning of our 4^th week of online training, social distancing, hand washing reminders and sheltering in place. Again, thank you to our faculty, students and staff for adjusting to this new model. Yesterday, Holy Week began in preparation for the Easter holiday next Sunday and on Wednesday evening Passover begins. Ramadan starts a few weeks later. Without getting into a religious discussion, these holidays teach us about sacrifice, discipline, miracles and traditions. It doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are, if you are familiar with either holiday, you’ll find people were faced with what seemed like insurmountable challenges and no clear solutions. That’s pretty pertinent when you compare them to today’s pandemic.    

If you’ve been watching the news, you know that this coming week the country is expecting to see very high death rates, especially in New York, which has become the global epicenter for the pandemic. The importance of staying at home and social distancing may be a huge sacrifice for many of you, but it is a sacrifice that can save lives – perhaps the lives of members of your own family. Please - continue to take this seriously. Don’t go out unless you absolutely have to, even to the grocery store or pharmacy. 

The sacrifices we’ve made up to now and continue to make in the next few weeks will pay off in fewer cases and hopefully, fewer deaths. We likely won’t begin to emerge from this for 4 – 6, or more weeks - but, there will be an end to this. We’ll look back and the entire experience will be a blip in time that hopefully, we will have learned a great deal from and can apply that knowledge to better prepare for when something like this happens again.  

While you may not feel like you’re doing much by sitting and watching movies and playing games, you are really saving lives. Nothing happening while you’re sitting at home is a good thing! Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Chicago reminds all of us that, “Without taking drastic measures, the healthy and optimistic among us will doom the vulnerable.”    

As I’ve mentioned in my previous messages to you, it’s important to understand that things will get worse before they get better, but they will get better. This is tough stuff because we’ve never been through anything like this before in our lifetimes. It’s okay to be scared or feel vulnerable; those are normal and natural feelings, given the current circumstances. Just don’t let those feelings overwhelm you and cloud your thinking. As I keep reminding you, our counselors are there to listen to your concerns and act as a sounding board for your feelings – take advantage of them if you need to. You can make an appointment here.  

I strongly encourage all of you to keep your fitness schedules going to the best of your ability, get outside often (if around other people, wear a mask) and keep yourself busy by working on your academic goals and also trying learning something new. Think about learning more about American History or even trying to start learning a new language. Our fitness experts at Hafter Center have been providing great YouTube indoor video workouts and just the other day sent out a workout schedule for the month that looks like lots of fun.

Finally, the staff of the Pennsylvania Ear Institute have stepped up to provide emergency services, in line with the state and CDC guidelines, to their patients with hearing aids who might need some assistance during this crisis. While they will only be providing services a couple of days a week, they’re fulfilling their responsibility to those they care for. That’s central to what we are all about at Salus and I applaud their actions.

As you begin this week, I want to thank you for the sacrifices you’re making to keep yourself, your families and many others safe. Please keep the correspondence coming.  

Be safe, be smart, wash your hands frequently, practice social distancing and wear a face mask if you go out, but stay home unless it’s absolutely necessary to go out! 

WE ARE SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Optimistic in the Midst of a Crisis: Week of April 3rd, 2020

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

It’s finally starting to look like spring in Elkins Park. Even with our shelter in place order in effect, I try to get to campus at least once a week to check on those few essential personnel who are there to assure our campus remains safe and our IT systems remain up and running.

What struck me this last time on campus, amid all the chaos and discouraging news about the pandemic, our pear and cherry trees are blooming, the daffodils and tulips are coming out of the ground and there was an air of peace and tranquility around our campus. In addition to taking a photo, I couldn’t help but stop and think how lucky we all are to be able to work, learn and come to a place that teaches others to heal while surrounded by a soothing environment. I couldn’t help but feel optimistic and encouraged by the sprouting of new life all around, even in the midst of this crisis.

The experts tell us things are going to get worse before they get better. It may be several months before we regain some sense of normalcy and even that will be different. Major events will be cancelled because bringing large groups together will be dangerous for many months out. Media will report the worst news, and sometimes even report about the good things people do to help each other. While all this is happening around us, it’s extremely important to maintain focused on our goals and those people closest to us. It’s also important to do everything you can to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. The physical part is the easiest one – social and physical distancing, washing our hands and staying at home. The mental part, well, that’s a little more difficult. Many of us are having a hard time sleeping. That’s perfectly normal during stressful times. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation makes everything seem worse and really does a job on our mental health. Our counseling team has put together several resources that I encourage all of you to check out.

On the home front, congratulations to Dr. Satya Verma who has been named to the National Optometry Hall of Fame. Dr. Verma will celebrate his 50th year on the PCO faculty in 2021. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient of this honor than Satya. To read more about Dr. Verma’s impressive career (and how we always mess up his birthday) click here. Dr. Verma is supposed to receive his award at the upcoming Optometry’s Meeting in June.

Finally, I want to end today’s update with a message of hope. Winston Churchill said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”. I know it’s difficult to see this now, but some good things will come out of this crisis. We will be smarter, more resilient, and will have learned to cope under difficult circumstances. I can’t help but think of those who lived under the threat of being bombed every night, not knowing if they’d live to see the next day during World War II. We will see the next day - and many more to follow. It’s important to maintain a positive attitude, look out for one another and continue to follow all the appropriate health guidelines. Your education will continue, our patients will return to our clinics and we will smarter, stronger and more thankful for the simple things surrounding us.

Atached is a photo of the USNS Comfort as she steamed into New York Harbor earlier this week. She serves not just as a floating hospital, but a symbol of caring and hope. When I saw that I felt a sense of pride – proud of the way we take care of our own. That’s what you’re all training to do – take care of others. Be proud, be brave and be safe.

Enjoy your weekend of social distancing and take note of the good things we all have. There still is much to be thankful for.

Mike