Become a Prevention Deputy: Week of June 26th, 2020

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

Greetings from a sunny, hot and humid Elkins Park. Summer certainly has arrived!

It’s been getting busy around campus with our Audiology, Optometry and Physician Assistant students on campus working on clinical lab assignments. It’s really great to see folks working and learning on campus again! To that end, I want to remind everyone that, while it may appear things are getting back to normal, we’re far from it given the recent increase in COVID-19 cases across the country. We need to remain vigilant in practicing our preventive measures both on and off campus, which includes wearing a face mask, maintaining appropriate social distancing when possible and frequent hand-washing. I’m empowering everyone on campus to become a prevention deputy. If you see anyone, and I mean anyone (including me), walking around without a face mask, or with a face mask not covering both their nose and mouth, please politely remind them that they need to have it on correctly to protect all of us. We’re in this together and together we will get through this! Here’s a link to an interesting article related to the steps we’re taking to help assure everyone “plays by the new rules”

On Tuesday, we’re going to celebrate the 46-year career of Dr. Joel Silbert at The Eye Institute by dedicating an exam room in his name. Dr. Silbert, who served as a PCO professor and director of the Contact Lens Program and former chief of the Cornea and Specialty Contact Lens Service at TEI, has decided to call it a career. He officially retires June 30, 2020. Joel leaves a legacy of excellence through those students, residents, faculty and staff that have been lucky enough to have been taught by him over the years. There aren’t too many people who can say they’ve helped to mature an entire profession, but that’s exactly what Dr. Silbert has done through his mentorship, research, clinical acumen and academic accomplishments nationally and internationally. He truly set the bar high for all of us who were lucky enough to be his students and in doing so helped to develop generations of optometrists who have built upon his work over the years. Please join us in celebrating Dr. Silbert’s career and retirement as we live stream the dedication ceremony on Salus University’s Instagram on Tuesday, June 30 at noon. The ceremony will conclude with an unveiling of a plaque on exam room 503 at TEI, followed by Dr. Silbert’s remarks.

The Faculty Focus story this week is on Rebecca Blaha, AuD, PEI lead audiologist, clinical preceptor and OCA assistant professor. She has had a variety of interests in her lifetime — including playing the flute, salsa dancing, and powerlifting. Read more here. 

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee's first Lunch and Learn on Allyship, will be held on July 8 from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. The goal is to welcome faculty, staff, and students for a discussion on moving from Allyship to Advocacy. Look for a BB Collaborate link that will include login info and password for that important event soon.

Bhawan Minhas, OD, FAAO, director of PCO’s On-Campus Residency Programs, recently announced that Chad Killen, OD ‘19, Resident ‘20, Low Vision Rehabilitation resident at The Eye Institute (TEI), and Jessica Vickery, OD, Resident ‘20, Ocular Disease/Specialty Contact Lens resident at Mid Atlantic Cornea Consultants in York, Pa., are the recipients of the Bernard Blaustein Resident of the Year Award for the Residency Class of 2020. Read more about that here. 

Since it’s both Cataract Awareness and National Dysphagia Awareness Month, recent articles on salusuhealth.com contain useful information for you and your patients.  

June is LGBTQ Pride Month and this year celebrates Pride’s 50^th anniversary. Of note, 4.5% of U.S adults identify as LGBTQ and a little over 8% of millennials identify themselves as LGBTQ+. Historically, according to a story on ABC news, in 1969, the Stonewall Inn was part of a Greenwich Village gay scene that remained largely underground. At the time, showing same-sex affection or dressing in a way deemed gender-inappropriate could get people arrested, and bars had lost liquor licenses for serving such people. Some gay nightspots simply operated illegally. A one-time horse stable in adjoining buildings, the Stonewall was a divey, unlicensed spot with darkened windows, black-painted walls and a doorman who scrutinized would-be patrons through a peephole. But it also had a popular, pulsating dance floor that attracted a diverse, largely young crowd. The police raid in the wee hours of June 28, 1969, stirred a sudden resistance, as patrons and others outside the bar hurled objects at officers. Protests followed over several more days and led to new, more extensive LGBTQ activist groups than the U.S. had seen before. During more normal times, festivals, parades and other events on the last weekend in June commemorate the Stonewall uprising and the beginning of a national movement.

For those of you who have been on campus this week, you might have seen a photographer walking around earlier in the week taking pictures of members of our Salus community. Thank you to all of our student, staff and faculty volunteers who helped make it such a great experience. You’ll probably see these pictures on our website soon. 

Finally, it’s going to be a hot summer weekend. Please remember to keep hydrated, maintain physical and social distancing, wear your face mask and wash your hands frequently. The last thing we want to see happen here is for us to look like some of the other states that are clearly trending in the wrong direction. So be safe, be smart, have fun and be Salus Strong!

Mike

Moving to the Green Phase: Week of June 22, 2020

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

On Friday, Governor Wolf announced that Montgomery County will move from the “Yellow Phase” to the “Green Phase” of the Process to Reopen Pennsylvania on Friday, June 26^th. Philadelphia County will follow in about a week. You can see the difference between the phases here.   

It’s important to remember that the “Green Phase” of the Process to Reopen Pennsylvania does not mean that things go back to normal – they do not. While most businesses will open in some way, shape or form, we still need to remember that the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a part of our lives. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the increase in several states across the country. Luckily, because our county and state public health experts have done a good job in helping to contain the virus here, our numbers are still decreasing. Clearly, we don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. That’s why it remains imperative to practice social and physical distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing a face mask when around others.

At Salus, we are maintaining our approach of putting the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff first and foremost in everything we do. As you will recall, we received relief from several restrictions while in the Yellow Phase because we educate healthcare professionals. Consequently, we won’t see any changes in our operation this summer, to include no academic or social gatherings. We will continue with our current screening, social/physical distance and cleaning protocols and continue to encourage people who can work from home to do so. You will see more changes as we begin our Fall semester in August. Applying those same principles, our labs and classrooms have been reconfigured to accommodate appropriate physical distancing guidelines and we are working hard to have our LRC and Hafter Center, to include the fitness center, ready for the Fall semester. Please reference our COVID-19 webpage for more details.  

It is our intention for everyone coming to our campus and clinics to not only remain healthy and safe but also to feel comfortable in doing so. As I’ve noted many times since this pandemic began, we will get through this just fine. We already have become smarter and more adaptable. I’m certain that there are many things that still don’t feel quite comfortable to many of you. I know wearing a mask while going to the grocery store or riding my bike around others still doesn’t feel natural to me, but I also know I’m protecting others, so as the folks at Nike suggest, “I just do it”. When on campus, please respect others and wear your face mask. Please continue to social and physical distance – both on and off campus. Wash your hands frequently and wear your mask, covering your nose and mouth. I look forward to seeing more of you on campus in the upcoming weeks. 

We are Salus Strong and that, along with acting professionally and courteously towards others, will get us through this.

Mike

Back on Campus: Week of June 19th, 2020

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

Good morning from Elkins Park where more students and faculty have been on campus to do important clinical lab work. Next week we’re anticipating even more activity on campus, which will be a very welcome sight!

When people finally get to campus, they’ll be greeted by a smiling (although you won’t see the smile due to the mask they’ll be wearing) security guard armed with a digital, non-contact thermometer. Hopefully, everyone has already filled out the “Sign On” questionnaire to help expedite entrance into campus buildings. When in the building I want to remind everyone of the importance of maintaining at least 6-foot physical distancing from each other (even though the urge will be there not to do this) and wearing your mask that covers both your mouth and nose. I’m linking an article that references a study reinforcing the effectiveness of face masks here. Of note, in each scenario that was evaluated, routine face mask use by 50% or more of the population reduced COVID-19 spread to an R of less than 1.0, resulting in flattening future disease waves. 

One of the other important facets of ensuring everyone’s safety is having access to reliable testing. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and would like to speak to a health care provider, we have arranged for you to be able to do so through Jefferson Health’s JeffConnect. You can either download the app from the App Store (Apple) or on Google Play (android) or access it from your web browser at JeffConnect. After your register, you can schedule a telehealth appointment. If warranted, the Jefferson provider will arrange for you to be tested at one of Jefferson’s mobile test sites. Subject to applicable co-pays, the health insurance coverage (students, faculty and staff) offered by Salus University covers the telehealth visit and any ordered testing. If you maintain other health insurance coverage, please check with your carrier.    

Our Speech-Language Institute is providing cutting edge telehealth to their clients. In order to serve as many clients as possible this summer, driven by limitations caused by the pandemic, the Speech-Language Institute (SLI) opened its virtual doors May 26 to established clients, both pediatric and adult, via telehealth appointments. SLI clients and graduate students, virtually supervised by SLI's Clinical Educators and Faculty, are using Blink Session to provide all therapy services. Blink Session is a HIPAA compliant, secure telepractice platform, able to connect clients to services while housing a variety of virtual materials for clients and students. Over the past month, we have scheduled close to 200 sessions, with clients logging on and receiving treatment for more than 90 percent of those 200 appointments. 

 

The Faculty Focus story this week is on Andrew Meagher, OD ‘15, Resident ‘16, FAAO, PCO assistant professor and Glaucoma Fellow at The Eye Institute (TEI). Check out what skill Dr. Meagher has that has come in handy during quarantine. Read more about Andrew here. 

 

While in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the requirement for continued social distancing remains an important prevention tool, the Salus Running Club has once again emerged to provide an outlet for runners, from beginners to experienced ones. Check them out here.

 

Earlier this morning, we transitioned our current website to include the new College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER) structure. The main change will be the cohesion of the two current colleges into one (program pages under the new college will essentially stay the same). We wanted to have this complete before the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Yesterday, I asked Maura Keenan, our VP for Human Resources, to inform our University community that we’ve begun the search process for a Special Assistant for Diversity and Inclusion who will report directly to me. As a University Community it’s imperative that we make a commitment to learn, act and influence others as we address racial injustice and inequities personally, professionally and societally. Having a subject matter expert on staff will help us to successfully incorporate racial equality, health inequity, multiculturalism and inclusion into each of our program’s curricula in a meaningful, sustainable way. As we get started down this journey, I am very interested in what people are reading to learn more about Black and cultural oppression in our society. I’ve started reading “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander. Let’s post what we’re doing on our Salus Facebook page. That way we can each share experiences and observations.

Today is the first anniversary of Pennsylvania declaring June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day in Pennsylvania. Last year, on June 19, 2019, Governor Wolf signed legislation that designates June 19 as “Juneteenth National Freedom Day” in Pennsylvania. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States when Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and read General Order #3, the proclamation freeing all slaves.

On the subject of freedom and equality, earlier this week the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that federal law prohibits employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The court said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate because of a person's sex, among other factors, also covers sexual orientation and transgender status. 

Additionally, yesterday the Court blocked an attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the US as children from deportation. That’s great news for any current or prospective students who may fall into this category.

The next Grand Rounds at The Eye Institute (TEI) is titled “When Bad Retinas Go Good,” Friday, June 26, presented by Dr. Mark Miriello, PCO instructor. For more information about the program, click here.

As you prepare for the weekend ahead, please remember that we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Watching the news and listening to some of the politicians, one might think that we’ve moved beyond the pandemic, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Please continue to practice social/physical distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing a face mask when around others. Be safe, be smart and continue to be SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Plans for the Fall Semester: Week of June 15th, 2020

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff and Board Members, 

Having resumed limited University operations and clinical instruction during the Yellow Phase of the Process to Reopen Pennsylvania, I wanted to confirm our plans for the fall semester. Consistent with the guidelines promulgated by the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education, after a great deal of planning and preparation, we are planning to resume the majority of our on campus operations on August 24th.

Instruction

Laboratory and clinical instruction will be conducted face-to-face either on campus, at our clinical facilities or at externship sites. Didactic classroom instruction will be conducted in alternative formats with individual programs and their students selecting from a variety of modalities including, face-to-face, remote (synchronous and asynchronous) and blended offerings. We are adopting a block scheduling system to allow for enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of spaces and to reduce congestion in common areas. If for any reason, the public health situation dictates otherwise, we are well prepared to pivot and provide remote instruction.

Student Services

The Learning Resource Center (LRC), Café and Student Affairs Office will be open for your use. We are also developing plans to reopen the Hafter Student Community Center.

Operating Protocols 

The health and safety of the Salus community remains our utmost concern. The operating protocols that we have adopted for the Yellow Phase will evolve in accordance with CDC and state guidelines. Daily screenings and temperature checks will continue as will the requirement to wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth. For your own convenience, please remember to complete the Salus Sign On. Students and faculty engaged in laboratory and clinical instruction will continue to be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE).

One way traffic in our hallways and staircases will also continue. Laboratories, classrooms, the LRC and the Café will all have reduced capacities to allow for physical distancing. Plexiglass shields are being added to laboratory and clinical equipment and in additional locations as customer service barriers.

To allow for contact tracing, all individuals entering and leaving our facilities will be recorded. Class schedules and assigned seating will provide additional information. 

All faculty and staff who can perform the essential functions of their jobs from home will still be encouraged to do so. Those whose essential functions require them to be on site will return to campus and our clinical facilities.   

Our protocols are designed to reduce the risk of exposure, but the contagious nature of COVID-19 means we cannot eliminate all risk of infection. Everyone must also do their part by practicing physical distancing, frequently washing their hands, not touching their nose, mouth or eyes, and most importantly staying home if they are sick. Once again, this is where the Salus Sign On comes into play. We have adopted more liberal excused absence policies to accommodate those who stay home because they are or may be sick.

Orientation

Building upon the success of our series of Entering Student Webinars, our new students will be able to conduct their Salus University orientation online and at their own pace beginning in early August. In addition, each individual program will conduct small group orientation sessions virtually and/or in person the week of August 17th.

  

As we work tirelessly to prepare for the fall semester, additional and updated information, including our protocols and procedures can be found on our updated COVID-19 webpage – salus.edu/COVID-19.

I cannot tell you how excited we all are to welcome you back to campus. You’re returning to campus during an exciting, yet challenging time that presents us with great opportunities to innovate and help to define the next normal that has been necessitated by the pandemic. 

We are SALUS STRONG, working together as a singular University team. I can’t wait to see you in person.

Mike

Recognizing Achievements: Week of June 12th, 2020

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

Good morning! It’s going to be a beautiful day around here today! We’re starting to see some more folks around campus, as some programs begin limited clinical lab training, although the majority of programs won’t return to labs and clinics until the last week in June. 

While we’re very disappointed about having to cancel the Salus Awards Gala (SAG) this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re still recognizing the achievements of this year’s recipients. You can read more about our faculty and staff making who have been honored here.

   

Congratulations to Brandi Burns, MMS ’16, PA-C, who has been named the Physician Assistant Alumna of the Year by our Alumni Association. Read more about Brandi’s numerous accomplishments here.

Sheri Hoffert ‘20O&M, a student in the Blindness and Low Vision Studies program, has shown that she can be quick on her feet during the pandemic. Read more about how Sheri had gone above and beyond for her visually impaired students here.  

Congratulations to Salus alum Caroline Pate, OD ‘04, FAAO, for being named the American Optometric Association (AOA) 2020 “Educator of the Year.” Read more about Dr. Pate here.

A reminder that today’s Grand Rounds lecture, entitled “Personal Equipment in the Clinical Setting” starts at 8 a.m. For more information about the program, click here.

“The Ins and Outs of Strabismus Management in a Primary Care Optometric Practice” will be offered as a synchronous interactive distance learning program from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 18. For more information about the program, click here. 

Congratulations to Dr. Janet Scharre, our former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, for receiving the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This recognition is so well deserved!

The funeral of George Floyd was held in Houston, Texas earlier this week. His death has amplified the frustration, pain and constant fear so many of our fellow Black Americans live with every day; day in and day out. As an institution, Salus University stands in solidarity with the Black community and all communities of color. We are committed to being diligent to actively listen to, learn from, and support each other. As healthcare providers, we are committed to actively addressing disparities in access to quality healthcare that are based on race, gender or sexual orientation.

The Salus Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Committee is actively working with students, faculty and staff to help build awareness, by providing resources for all of us to learn. You can access these resources online here.

Finally, it looks like it’s going to be a nice weekend. Please don’t forget we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic.  While I encourage you to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise, please continue to practice your social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing a face mask when you are inside any building or around people outside. 

Be safe, respect one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Don't Get Distracted: Week of June 8th, 2020

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

These past couple of weeks have presented all of us with significant events that must generate difficult and candid discussions about race relations in our country, white supremacy, and police brutality, especially toward Black Americans. We also witnessed a clear abuse of power and a desire to use our active duty military to quell protests by the President of the United States. These events, on top of fighting a global pandemic, which our national leadership has struggled with, compounds the issues we are all currently living with. Only a few times in our history has the future of our great democratic experiment been under such extraordinary pressure. Some of my former military colleagues have written we are at a tipping point. I agree. With all this going on, it’s easy to get distracted. I believe that’s exactly what President Trump would like us to do. Some may feel differently about that, and I respect their opinion. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative we keep our eye on the ball – which includes our social, moral, and ethical responsibility to openly and actively address racism, bigotry and all that goes along with that. 

Closer to home, we also need to remember that you are all at Salus to learn to become the best health care professional possible. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to that and I know you are as well. With everything else going on, it’s important to maintain focus on your studies while also carving out time to address these other important issues; I acknowledge it won’t be easy, but it is necessary. We have to hold ourselves accountable to listen, learn, act differently and then influence others to do the same. It’s also imperative that we understand our patient and client base. No doubt, we will continually offer high quality, compassionate care, but we also have to have a clearer understanding of the challenges our non-white patients go through, day in and day out. 

I had the opportunity, along with my wife, daughters, and grand-dog, to attend a march against racism in Ambler on Saturday. We all wore masks and stayed socially distanced from others during the event. It was peaceful, constructive and moving as I watched a diverse crowd of participants and speakers honor the memory of George Floyd and speak of the centuries of injustice Black people have endured in our country. Leaving the march, the thought occurred to me that we cannot allow the momentum and initiative the events over the past couple of weeks have generated to wane, as it often does. Change must occur! 

I pledge to work very closely with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to ensure that doesn’t happen. As a start, I’d like us to bring outside speakers and experts to the University so we can have even a more informed and educated dialog, be intellectually challenged, remain energized and engaged and be able to influence others in a positive way. 

Let’s also not forget that the COVID-19 pandemic still rages around us and we need to remain vigilant, especially with our campus partially reopening this week. Don’t relax your current behaviors concerning hygiene, social distancing and wearing your face mask. With everything on all of our minds, it’s very easy to be lulled into a false sense of security concerning the spread of the virus. 

We have some difficult work ahead of us if we’re going to make a difference. I know we are up to the challenge and I’ll be there, along with you, listening, learning, teaching and influencing others. 

We are SALUS STRONG in body, mind, and soul. 

Mike

Equality, Decency and Freedom: Week of June 5th, 2020

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

Good morning from Horsham. Summer is upon us with hot and muggy weather, compounded with strong thunder storms. I hope, as you’re reading this, if you’ve lost power, it has been restored. If not, I hope it will be on soon! It’s been quite the week. Let me start by filling you in on what’s been happening on campus and then I’d like close in sharing my thoughts on external events, but not unrelated to us at Salus. 

This week’s Faculty Focus is on Dr. Tracy Offerdahl-McGowan and her role as both a pharmacist and a “farmacist.” She’s got some great stories you can read more about here. 

The inaugural Post-baccalaureate in Health Sciences class certainly left its mark on the University. I want to congratulate all of those students who finished the program and thank Drs. Darryl Horn and Brooke Kruemmling for taking the lead on this program, as well as the rest of our Rock Star faculty who helped to make it a success. Check out the virtual celebration to commemorate the accomplishments of the inaugural class here.

Congratulations to Faye Miller, O&M ’14, who was named the Blindness and Low Vision Studies Alumna of the Year by the Alumni Association. You can read more about Faye’s numerous accomplishments and contributions to her field here. 

Best of luck to our Osborne College of Audiology externs who are about to begin their clinical rotations. Thanks for including me in your celebration last night. I know you all will just hit it out of the park!

A reminder that the next Continuing Education Grand Rounds lecture is titled “Personal Equipment in the Clinical Setting” from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Friday, June 12. This is a mandatory session for PCO students, but I’d also highly recommend as many people as possible try to listen in as the use of PPE has become an integral part of everyone’s clinical lives. For more information about the program, click here. 

While I have historically tried to remain apolitical in writing these posts, the events of the last couple of weeks have pushed me to the point where I can no longer stay quiet and keep my opinions to myself. 

I want to comment on a couple events that have offended, disgusted and appalled me this week. The first was watching peaceful demonstrators being forcibly and violently removed from Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, so Donald Trump could have a “photo opportunity” holding up a bible in front of St. John’s Church on the square. This abhorrent abuse of power highlighted his disregard for the rights of those conducting a peaceful protest, voicing their indignation with racism, white supremacy and police brutality. Threatening the use of military intervention and force against protesters, as Trump has, is something a dictator would do and is not consistent with our Constitutional First Amendment right of peaceful assembly to be heard. I do not condone any of the violence and looting that went on, but that was a small minority, distracting us from the principal message we all need to hear – the injustice Black and other people of color have suffered over two centuries. 

The second event was the unbelievably racist, incendiary and offensive press release from Joseph Gale, a Montgomery County Commissioner. I’ve already responded to his comments very publicly. We need to expect and demand more from our elected officials, especially one that lacks a sense of decency, compassion and respect. Dr. Di Stefano reminded us of the importance of voting during his commencement speech – this takes on an even more important role for all of us given the strife our nation is feeling right as a result of incompetent, immature and failing leadership at several levels. Our country and our democracy are at an inflection point today, and, while it will not be easy, we have an obligation to get us back on track to the ideals we were founded upon – equality, decency and freedom for all.

Even with all of that going on, I was uplifted and educated earlier in the week by the candidness and professionalism of our students, faculty and staff as we began to openly address the issues of race inequality and police brutality in our society.  

Salus University stands in solidarity with the Black community and all communities of color. We must be diligent and actively listen to, learn from, and support each other. As healthcare providers we must actively address disparities in access to quality healthcare that are based on race, gender or sexual orientation. We must commit to making this moment in history a turning point for positive change rather than a blip in time. Let the actions of all of those working for a more just society further demonstrate that Black lives matter, and let us all commit to working together as one to build a better future. I would encourage all of you move out of your comfort zones and speak out and take action against these social injustices. 

I hope you have a chance to reflect on this over the weekend. Today, Montgomery and surrounding counties move into the Yellow Phase of The Process to Reopen PA, so next week there might be several more people on campus. If you have to be on campus, please ensure you follow all social distance guidelines, continue aggressive hygiene routines, to include frequent hand washing and cleaning flat surfaces and wearing a face mask that covers your nose and mouth while on campus or in clinic.  You can review our Yellow Phase guidelines here.

Stay safe, stay healthy, be respectful of one another - stay SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Salus Community Town Hall: Week of June 1st, 2020

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

Yesterday, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee organized a Salus Community Town Hall meeting, where many of us heard, first-hand, the pain, anguish and hurt many of our students, faculty and staff of color have been enduring for most of their lives. The multiple events of the past few weeks have only served to bring these feelings to the forefront. I want to sincerely apologize for our tardiness in beginning to outwardly address these issues, thank all those who articulated their thoughts, for their candor, eloquence and trust in sharing their fears and anguish with us. 

One of my take-aways from yesterday’s meeting was that no matter what we believe, unless we’re walking in the shoes of those who have been faced with racism, bigotry and outright disrespect, there is no way to truly understand what that’s like. To that point, we collectively have a responsibility to learn as much as we can about racism and bigotry in America in order to be empathic, understanding and sensitive to the events and issues that affect our colleagues of color. Only then can we act to improve the current intolerable situation.

All of this is exacerbated by the stress and anxiety over COVID-19 as it remains a significant threat throughout our country. Aside from the unknowns surrounding this contagion, the pandemic has introduced limitations to daily social life, forced us into lengthy periods of isolation, and spurred concerns over financial matters. For those who have faced racially motivated violence and oppression, this state of stress is intensified.

So, how should the Salus Community react to the tragedy of George Floyd and to other horrific, race-related events that seem endemic in our fractured society today?   

We reject all forms of hatred, racism and violence. They run counter to the principles of all our faiths, to our sense of decency and to our system of democracy - and yet hatred, racism and violence have been unchecked throughout American history and continues today. But how should we react? What can we do if we want to end hatred, racism, violence and health access inequity? These are some of the questions that we need to be actively discussing among ourselves, in our classes and in our chatrooms.

I recognize we are not going to begin to solve the issue of racism on a national scale. But this work has to begin someplace. I have never walked in a store wondering what people were thinking of me because of the color of my skin.  Our Black and other colleagues of color live with this every day. We all need to openly discuss the perverse effects of racism and white supremacy, how it affects our colleagues, our patients and our friends. Now is the time, in the words of one of our colleagues, “to get uncomfortable” and begin to have those difficult conversations that will lead to a better understanding of the challenges our colleagues of color have faced every day of their lives. Not until we gain that courage to openly discuss this, gain a clearer understanding, and then begin to take action, will we be able to start to reshape our world.

Be safe, practice social distancing, wear a face covering when out in public and on campus and respect one another.

Mike