Building Resiliency: Week of October 30th, 2020

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

Greetings from a rather soggy and cool Elkins Park. It’s been another busy week at Salus with many of our students preparing for exams, continuing with their virtual and in-person classes and labs and seeing patients in clinic.

PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL RECIPIENTS: Congratulations to two more Presidential Medal of Honor recipients, Fern Silverman, EdD, OTR/L, and Neal Nyman, OD, BS. Dr. Silverman originally came to Salus in 2013 during the Occupational Therapy (OT) program’s infancy and then three years later helped launch the Doctoral Program in Occupational Therapy (OTD). Read more about Dr. Silverman here. Dr. Nyman, a well-respected clinician who easily imparted knowledge to his interns and residents alike, greatly expanded the way PCO approached both ethics and patient-doctor communications prior to his retirement in 2019. Read more about Dr. Nyman here.

AUDIOLOGY STUDENT PANEL DISCUSSION: Earlier this month, Katie McGovern ‘23AUD, was one of three student panelists to participate in the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) discussion titled “Office Hours: Don't Get Spooked by Grad School Applications.” Read about Katie’s experience here.

DR. J HAS ARRIVED!: Salus will have its own “Dr. J.” starting Nov. 1 when Juliana Mosley, PhD, officially starts as the University’s inaugural Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Read more about Dr. Mosley here.

LGBTQIA+ MONTH: To recognize LGBTQIA+ History Month, the Communications Department sat down with the Sexuality & Gender Alliance at Salus (SAGAS). Sean Lewis ‘23OD, president of the LGBTQIA+ organization at Salus, and Camille Menns '21OT explained how to be a better ally. View Camille’s full interview here. View Sean’s full interview here.

VISION THERAPY PROGRAM: Salus University and the Academy of Ophthalmic Education are presenting “A Comprehensive Foundational Program in Vision Therapy: A 100-Hour Program Model,” featuring the first live webinars with Q&A and 70 hours of theory/didactics. Online lectures begin Nov. 5 and go through May 2021. The program is for optometrists and vision therapists interested in incorporating or enhancing binocular vision diagnosis and treatment in their practice. It has been endorsed by COVD (College of Optometry in Vision Development) and meets the 100- hour requirement for fellowship to COVD. For more information, click here.

JOSEPH C. TOLAND CE PROGRAM: The Dr. Joseph C. Toland 30th annual Excellence in Education conference will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Topics and speakers will include:

• Glaucoma Myth Busters & IOP Adjusters with Alissa Coyne, OD, FAAO and Andrew Meagher, OD, FAAO
• Real World Applications of Emerging Technologies and Treatments with Leslie O’Dell, OD, FAAO
• Dry Eye and the Surgical Patient with Leslie O’Dell, OD, FAAO
• Contact Lens Troubleshooting with Nicholas Gidosh, OD, FAAO
• Myopia Control Updates with Nicholas Gidosh, ID, FAAO

For more information and to register, click here.

HALLOWEEN SAFETY: When celebrating Halloween, whether you have a hearing impairment or not, keep several safety tips in mind. Trick-or-treating in the dark can make it more difficult to see certain things and also to hear in your surroundings. Read more about that here. Halloween is also a time for spooky costumes. For some, cosmetic contact lenses are the perfect accent to their festive and ghoulish attire. However, according to our own experts and other health officials, wearing these cosmetic accessories can come with a price and people are warned to steer clear of these potential dangers. Read more here.

VOTE: Voting is the one essential responsibility we all have to ensure our democratic process endures. If you have not already dropped off or mailed in your election ballot or if you plan to vote in person, please ensure you plan ahead as lines likely will be long on election day. No matter what your political leanings, please cast your vote!

FINAL THOUGHTS - BUILDING RESILIENCY: We are entering the ninth month of working through the challenges and taking advantage of some of the opportunities presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic. As an institution, thanks to the hard work of all of you – faculty, students and staff – we have come through this reasonably well, to date. You have pivoted to online teaching and learning, conducted labs and clinics in a somewhat restrictive environment and continued to make progress towards the completion of your professional degrees. This hasn’t been easy for anyone, but together we have overcome many hurdles along the way together. One of the silver linings of this public health emergency has been our ability to provide online continuing education to a much broader audience and improve our ability to teach and learn virtually. Along with this, I also believe we have all been building our resiliency along the way.

Gever Tulley, a writer and entrepreneur suggests that, “persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” I couldn’t agree more. We’ve all been working together over the course of the past nine months doing exactly that! As healthcare professionals, I believe that building resilience is an important part of our professional growth. No matter what profession you are part of, you will always be faced with situations that require strength and resilience to succeed. The stress we are feeling now is normal and while it may sound like a cliché, it will make us all stronger and more resilient in the long run.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to help alleviate the stress associated with all this. Changing your daily routines, socializing virtually with friends and loved ones or in small groups outdoors, getting outside to exercise or just taking a walk to enjoy the fall colors are all helpful activities. Additionally, both students and faculty should make an extra effort to talk with each other about how you are doing and how you are feeling. Looking out for each other is essential. I also know that each of your programs, as well as Student Affairs, are working on ways to help reduce stress levels. Learning coping skills is all part of all of our professional growth. And, take it from me, you never stop learning those.

As we work our way through the pandemic, events surrounding the upcoming election, social and racial unrest on top of the stress caused by the high workloads you all are encountering in your programs, please reflect on the words of Helen Keller who said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” It’s not easy nor is there a simple formula for all of this – nothing worth doing is. I can assure you that we are all in this together and we will work with you. When we come out on the other end, whenever that will be, we all will be stronger and more resilient. Lean on each other, lean on us and if you feel you’d like to speak with a counselor, you can always make an appointment with our experts at CPPD or through Human Resources.

The rain should stop later today and it should be a nice, cool Halloween weekend. If you decide to go out and partake in Halloween festivities, please continue to social distance, wear your face mask and wash your hands frequently. What you do off campus affects all of us on campus.

Be safe, take some time to relax and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Plan to Vote: Week of October 23rd, 2020

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

Good morning from Elkins Park where our faculty, students and staff continue to work hard to teach, learn and support our health science educational mission. It’s been another busy week on campus as we successfully navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic and providing virtual and in-person classes and labs in addition to delivering our optometry, audiology and speech-language pathology clinical services.

VOTING PREPARATION: Election Day is a little more than a week away and voting is underway in many parts of the country. In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots can be dropped off at many locations around us. As we approach November 3rd, I highly encourage all of you who have not already either mailed in or dropped off your ballots to begin to plan ahead. No matter where you go on Election Day, lines will be long either voting in person or dropping off a ballot. More than likely, voting will take longer than in previous elections which certainly can impact your academic or clinical schedules. As a courtesy to others, please notify the school of your intentions ahead of time so no one has to cover your shift or you miss a required assignment that could have been rescheduled prior. We want everyone to have the opportunity to vote.

DEI LUNCH AND LEARN: The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will host a Lunch & Learn event at noon Wednesday, Oct. 28, featuring Janet LaBreck, who was the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration under President Barack Obama and co-founder of Synergy Consulting Partners. That group is dedicated to creating positive change within organizations and systems, with a commitment of full inclusion for individuals with disabilities. The link for the remote access will be sent via email prior to the event.

IMPORTANCE OF PRONOUNS: International Pronouns Day, celebrated earlier this week, seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people. Together, we can transform society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities.

STUTTERING AWARENESS DAY: Stuttering Awareness Day raises awareness in our own communities and joins with other organizations to educate the public and reach those who stutter who still feel alone and isolated. The Speech-Language Institute (SLI) of Salus University offers comprehensive evaluation services and treatment plans for stuttering. To read more about “Stuttering Facts vs. Myths,” click here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: There is arguably no more important civic duty than exercising your right to vote. Given the challenges that our country is currently experiencing, this is especially true this year. So please make arrangements to either vote by mail or in person. If you do vote in person, please remember we still are in the middle of a pandemic and you will need to take appropriate precautions that include wearing your face mask, socially distancing while standing in lines and washing your hands when you’re done.

Finally, it's going to be a relatively nice weekend, so please try to get out and enjoy some of the nice fall weather. The leaves are reaching peak and it’s a great stress relief to get out and enjoy the nice weather. Remember, if you feel like you’d like to talk to one of our CPPD counselors you can make an appointment here.

Please continue to socially distance, wear your face masks, wash your hands frequently and keep in mind that what you do off campus directly affects all of us on campus. Be safe, be smart, remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Addressing Stress: Week of October 16th, 2020

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

It’s been another busy week on campus and in our clinics. Students continue to do their work in face to face classes, labs, clinics and also virtually. The fall weather has begun to transform our campus foliage with vibrant colors, which always looks beautiful. Fall is my favorite season, even in the midst of a global pandemic.

DR. GILDA CROZIER – REMEMBERED: As I shared with you earlier this week, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University lost one of its icons with the passing of Dr. Gilda Crozier. Our communications team has written a very informative article about Dr. Crozier that includes information about her funeral arrangements next week. Read the details at salus.edu/GildaCrozier.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FALL GRADUATES: Once again, congratulations to our fall graduates who are now ready to take on the world. It’s now time to take advantage of all that you’ve learned during your time at Salus and apply those skills to the patients and clients. To read more about our virtual ceremony that was aired Oct. 13, 2020, please go to salus.edu/FallCommencement2020.

NATIONAL PA WEEK: We continue to recognize National Physician Assistant Week. Like every healthcare professional, physician assistants (PA) have been put to the test as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out “A Day in the Life” of some of our PA students at salus.edu/PAweek. Students can also submit their own stories to be spotlighted on the University’s website and social media here.

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS: Congratulations to two of our 2020 Presidential Medal of Honor Award winners, including Dr. Victor Hugo Bray, who you can read more about at salus.edu/VictorBray and Dr. Andrew Gurwood, who you can read more about at salus.edu/GurwoodAward. I’m proud of the work that Drs. Bray and Gurwood have done for this well-earned honor. The other 2020 award winners will also be featured with stories on our website in the coming weeks.

BLINDNESS AWARENESS MONTH: October is Blindness Awareness Month and according to the World Health Organization, there are 285 million people who are visually impaired worldwide, 39 million of whom are completely blind. You can read more about this here.

HAFTER STUDENT CENTER: The Hafter Student Community Center reopened last month with new capacity limits in place — a maximum of 15 people per one-hour workouts are now allowed, which also includes the use of the gymnasium. We all should continue to stick to our exercise routines the best we can during the pandemic, and with the fall weather quickly approaching, the Hafter Center is a great place for your indoor workouts. Read more about the protocols that are in place at salus.edu/HafterWorkout.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON STRESS: I want to address this last section specifically to our students. We all realize how much stress you are all under, especially those of you who are just starting your professional programs. There’s a great deal going on around us and there’s also much to get accustomed to in school – between new schedules, new living environments, new subject matter to learn and working with new friends and colleagues in a virtual environment. I want you to know that you’re not alone – not at all. If you’re having difficulty with a specific subject I can pretty much guarantee that many of your classmates are experiencing the same challenges. The difference is that you just don’t have the opportunity to “compare notes” as you would have if we were not living in a mostly virtual world.

For our first-year students, I can remember my first year at PCO, yes, way back when, sitting in Dr. Lorraine Lombardi’s anatomy lectures trying to figure out how I was going to remember all that stuff. Throw in ophthalmic and physiological optics and my head was spinning – and I was a pretty good student. It took a little over a semester both to realize I had this and also that I wasn’t alone. Most of my classmates were feeling the same way. The biggest difference between then and now is that we could easily share our concerns during lunch or in other social settings. That’s clearly more difficult now. Your deans, program directors and faculty all realize the stress you’re currently under. While there is no simple answer and everyone copes with stress a bit differently, I have some suggestions to help you through this that have served me well over the years:

Stay focused on your studies - Keep up with your learning and try not to fall behind. Not only is focusing on school a great break from focusing on what’s going on in the world, it’s also a way to progress in your life while everything else seems like it’s on pause.

Develop a routine you can stick to - Sounds basic, but it will make a world of difference. Get up, make your bed (now you’ve accomplished at least one thing!), do some exercise, have breakfast, etc.

Get enough sleep – This also sounds pretty basic and to some, maybe it seems like “mission impossible” but the better rested you are, the more capable your body and mind will be at handling things that come your way, to include stress. Prioritize sleep over other things and you’ll be more productive, resilient and attentive.

Get outside and enjoy the fresh air – There are so many places around us that you can go and safely walk around in nature that will help to calm your mind and present opportunities for some exercise at many levels.

Make sure you have what you need for the next day - Check the schedule, lay out your clothes, make your lunch, etc.

Use social media purposefully and not nonchalantly – Limit your screen time and refrain from posting for “likes” or for the sake of making the “best content”. Use social media to connect with some new classmates or the people you miss seeing every day.

We all understand what you’re going through as many of us are feeling some of the same stressors. As I’ve said many times, and still believe, the pandemic will eventually end. While it won’t be tomorrow or even by the end of next semester, but it will end. In the meantime, we all need to remain focused, healthy and optimistic, which is the most difficult task. We have skilled counselors in our Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) who are there for you. I would strongly encourage you to contact them, if you feel like you need to. All you need to do is make an appointment here.

Finally, all the weather apps are saying after Friday’s rain, it should be a nice fall weekend. I strongly encourage you all to get out and enjoy the good weather while we still have it. As the numbers of COVID-19 cases increase in Pennsylvania and in surrounding states, it’s even more important that you continue to practice the good prevention measures that have proven to be effective. Continue to wear your face mask when around others, practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently. Remember what you do off campus affects all of us on campus. Be safe, be smart and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Fall Commencement: Week of October 12th, 2020

As we prepare to launch another group of Salus graduates tomorrow afternoon, I want to congratulate all of you and all those who supported you during your time with us. No one could have foreseen the events that have unfolded in 2020. Between the worldwide pandemic, social unrest and an upcoming, polarizing election, you are leaving Salus during unprecedented times. The one thing that you have that I know will help you to clearly navigate all of these challenges is the fact that your education has prepared you well to enter into your given professions. No matter what you face, you are ready to take on the world. While tomorrow’s ceremony is virtual, I’ll be going on Instagram Live at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning to chat with you one last time, “in person”. All you need to do is go to the Salus Instagram site and you should be able to access it.

In the midst of all that’s swirling around us, you’ve all embarked on extremely exciting and rewarding careers. 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 you prepare to leave us, please remember that Salus will always be your academic home. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any one of us throughout your professional journeys. We’ll all be there to help you continue to succeed.

Finally, please remember to carry the message of wearing a face mask and continuing to social distance as you begin your careers. You will be the “local experts” once you leave here and you need to continue to set the example in practicing good public health measures. Congratulations on a job exceptionally well done – we’re all very proud of you!

Dr. M

PA Week and Giving Week: Week of October 9th, 2020

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

Greetings from a chilly, but very nice Elkins Park campus. Our students have been busy with mid-terms, labs and clinics. As always, it’s energizing to see our world-class faculty interacting with our talented students. As you can see from the length of this update (I apologize), there’s lots going on! SUMMER 

ENRICHMENT PROGRAM GIFT: The Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University announced this week that National Vision Inc.’s America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses will be the sole sponsor of its Robert E. Horne Summer Enrichment Program. The goal of the program is to increase underrepresented students of color in the optometric profession. Totaling $300,000 through a five-year commitment, it is the largest sponsorship Salus has received to date, in support of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. To read more, go to salus.edu/SEPdonation.

FALL COMMENCEMENT: While we wish we could celebrate the successes of our Fall graduating students in person, once again the pandemic has forced us to conduct a virtual ceremony, which will be aired on Tuesday, 13 October at 2 p.m. State Senator Art Haywood is our keynote speaker and honorary degree recipient. You can access the ceremony here. That morning, I will be also be broadcasting a live message to our graduates via Instagram Live at 9 a.m.

NEW ONLINE CE LIBRARY: Melissa Vitek, OD ‘95, FAAO, director of the Department of International and Continuing Education, has been working with instructors and collecting online continuing education lectures since June. The University’s website now includes a designated section titled “Asynchronous CE Library” that links to these recorded lectures. To read more about our asynchronous CE library, go to salus.edu/OnlineCElibrary.

UPCOMING CE EVENT: Our next Continuing Education online event will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14. Titled “SLP in a Virtual World — Assessment and Intervention Across the Life Span.” Presenters will discuss how many speech-language pathologists have had to pivot from face-to-face interactions to exclusively remote service provisions. For more information, click here.

ACT 31 & OPIOD CE: The Department of International and Continuing Education at Salus University will be hosting ACT 31 Mandated Child Abuse Awareness, Recognition and Reporting and Opioid Education online, synchronous offerings. To register, click here.

FACULTY FOCUS: This week’s Faculty Focus is on Erin Draper, OD ‘09, Resident ‘10, FAAO, who joined the PCO/Salus faculty following her residency at TEI in 2010. Read more about Dr. Draper at salus.edu/ErinDraper.

GIVING WEEK: Today is the last day of our annual Giving Week. Our goal is to get to 100 donors, no matter what the amount. This year’s Giving Week is dedicated to student scholarships, capital improvements and community outreach. There’s still time to jump in so just click here to get you to the site.

PA WEEK: Today marks the last day of Physician Assistant (PA) Week, in honor of the first graduating PAs from Duke University. Of note, October 6th was also the birthday of Dr. Eugene Stead, the profession’s founder. He would have been 112! This PA Week is especially significant as it falls during a global pandemic. PAs have stepped up in major ways, including serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. Whatever their specialty or setting, they have put their health at risk every day to care for their patients. The theme of this week’s celebration is, “PAs are Essential.” There’s no doubt that PAs have not only proven themselves as flexible, adaptable, and collaborative – but also essential to healthcare and to the patients they serve.

VOTING: As November 3rd gets closer it’s imperative that everyone who is entitled to vote is registered and has already made the decision to either order a mail-in ballot or vote in person. As I have been doing, below is information to assist you in performing the most important duty we all have as Americans – TO VOTE!

1. Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application.
2. Fill out the application completely.
3. Submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
4. When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it. If you do decide to vote in person, please ensure you know the location and times your polling place will be open. You can find that by accessing the PA voter website here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As you’ve seen in the news, many people in higher levels of our government have contracted COVID-19. Without going into a political discourse about this, the fact that so many people, who are so closely monitored, some on a daily basis, could contract this disease illustrates how easily it can be spread. This can be a deadly and dangerous disease, and it’s imperative not to minimize its potential impact and follow current guidelines that have, to date, been keeping us all healthy and safe.

Because we’ve been at this for over seven months, some people are developing what the media has termed Coronavirus Burnout and Pandemic Fatigue. With the onset of nicer Fall weather, the start of school and the holidays on the horizon, it’s easy to forget we’re still in the middle of a public health emergency that has already claimed over 212,000 American lives. Of note, while the U.S. has only 4% of the world’s population, we account for 21% of the 1 million deaths worldwide. As the richest country with the most sophisticated health system in the world, this represents a distressingly huge failure in our response to the pandemic.

Across our country, to include Pennsylvania, COVID rates have been rising because many are not following prescribed guidelines. As healthcare professionals, we must set the example for others. That means continuing to social distance, wearing a cloth face mask when around others and frequently washing our hands. This is not rocket science, nor is it an expression of political affiliation – it’s just good public health prevention measures. Even when we have access to reliable and affordable testing, these measures will still form the backbone of our prevention measures.

As you prepare to enjoy the great weather this weekend, I strongly encourage you to get out and enjoy the changing leaves and cooler temperatures. Practice good public health prevention measures wherever you go and remember what you do off campus directly affects all of us on campus!

Be safe, be smart, look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

COVID Alert PA App: Week of October 2nd, 2020

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

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus where the trees are starting to turn colors and it’s really starting to look like fall outside. There’s been lots of activity on campus this week and even last weekend as students began to learn new clinical skills in all of our professions. It brought back painful memories watching our optometry students learn retinoscopy using schematic eyes as well as thoughts of how technology has really changed over the years to help augment that. It was much more fun to watch our OT students meander around the building with wheelchairs and other mobility devices! So, here’s what’s happening:

COVID ALERT PA APP: The State of Pennsylvania just released a new app, COVID Alert PA, that will use Bluetooth technology to alert a person when they have come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus. You just need to go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to get it. The app runs on iPhones that support iOS 13.5 and higher, and Android phones running Android 6.0 and higher. According to the PA Website, users can help fight COVID-19 by opting to tell the Department of Health, through the app, how you are feeling daily and whether you have any COVID-19 symptoms. If you do have symptoms, the app will give you information on what to do. This tool helps you track your own symptoms within the app, and you’ll get public health information based on your responses. The app also can provide timely alerts if you’ve had a potential exposure to someone who tested positive for the virus. I’ve already downloaded as have everyone living in our house. I strongly encourage all of you to sign on. To learn more about this go here.

STRESS MANAGEMENT SUPPORT GROUP: Salus alumni, Olivia Cheng, MSOT '18, and current Salus Occupational Therapy (OT) students, Gina Inglese, '20OT, and Elisabeth Van Horn, '20OT, set out to help their fellow healthcare workers by creating a stress management support group to help during this uncertain time. You can check out their podcast here.

NEW DAY IN THE LIFE SERIES: Check out our “Day in the Life” series featuring second-year OT student Kristen Hasse, '21OT. Read more here. Also, our “I Chose Salus” series this week features Optometry student Stephen Shalamanda, '24OD. Read more about that here.

PEI AND SLI PODCAST: Lindsay Bondurant, PhD, CCC-A, director of the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) and Bob Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, chair of the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) department, did a 30-minute podcast during the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (PCOM) Virtual Wellness Fair Sept. 26. Dr. Bondurant spoke about the services provided by PEI and the role of audiologists. Bob gave an overview of services provided by the Speech-Language Institute (SLI). The session was live and included questions from attendees.

InfantSEE LAUNCH: Launched in 2005, InfantSEE, a public health program managed by Optometry Cares — The American Optometric Association’s Foundation — is celebrating 15 years of service, providing assessments to more than 150,000 infants. InfantSEE optometrists provide comprehensive infant eye assessments between six and 12-months of age free of charge regardless of family income or access to insurance coverage. The Eye Institute (TEI) at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University is proud to be a participating provider of this national program.

SALUS CUP COMPETITION: The Hafter Center has updated its annual Salus Cup to accommodate the current situation. Teams are comprised of classmates within their respective academic programs. Faculty, staff and residents are on an additional team together. Ways to receive and lose points during the Salus Cup: 

• Make a reservation for a workout block (+1)
• Attend your workout block reservation (+1)
• Sign up via PTMinder for a livestream class (+1)
• Participate in a livestream class (+1)
• Miss your reserved workout block time without canceling (-1)

Points will be added up at the end of each week and the team with the most points at the end of the week will receive one Salus Cup point. The team with the most Salus Cup points at the end of October wins. For clarification or more information, contact the Hafter centers trainers.

VOTING: The right to vote is the cornerstone of our American democracy. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and as we read about potential disruptions to the voting process, it is imperative that you plan ahead. If you’re planning to vote by mail, these are the steps to vote by mail in Pennsylvania:

1. Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application.
2. Fill out the application completely.
3. Submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
4. When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.

If you do decide to vote in person, please ensure you know the location and times your polling place will be open. You can find that by accessing the PA voter website here.

FLU SHOTS: If you haven’t already gotten your flu shots, it’s not too late. I strongly encourage all of you to get your flu shots, especially this year. We’ve been working with Temple Health to ensure it’s as easy as possible. This will be a drive-through event that will be staged in the parking area closest to Township Line Road. The next dates the flu shots will be available on campus are as follows:

• 10/9: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
• 10/16: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
• 10/23: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Please dial 215-517-5000 option 1. Any staff member can take your information over the phone to register you, but we were told that you should ask for Korliy and Kaila.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As the nicer fall weather becomes more inviting to do things outdoors, it’s imperative we all remember we’re in the midst of a pandemic. While it’s clearly safer to do things outdoors, it’s still extremely important to practice social distancing and wear a cloth face mask when around others, yes, even outdoors, if you cannot maintain a safe distance of at least six feet. As the weather gets colder, things will begin to move indoors, which presents even more risk of airborne exposure to the virus. If you do decide to venture into a restaurant or other eating establishment, please ensure that it is well-ventilated and there is ample distance between you and the other patrons. A recent CDC MMWR (Morbidity, Mortality Weekly Report) study found that for new COVID-19 positive patients over 18 years old, 42% of them reported dining at a restaurant, including indoor, patio and outdoor seating. It’s not too much of a stretch to assume that indoor venues present a greater risk than outdoor venues, simply due to diminished ventilation. Either way, it appears we assume a greater risk participating in these types of events. According to the CDC risk stratification, the more an individual interacts with others, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. The risk of COVID-19 spread increases in a restaurant or bar setting as follows:

• Lowest Risk: Food service limited to drive-thru, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick-up.
• More Risk: Drive-thru, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick-up emphasized. On-site dining limited to outdoor seating. Seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Even More Risk: On-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating. Seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Highest Risk: On-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating. Seating capacity not reduced and tables not spaced at least 6 feet apart.

I’m not suggesting you don’t go out and enjoy yourselves – but if you do, please be aware of the risks involved and do everything you can to mitigate those risks. Finally, the weekend looks to be nice so do get out and enjoy yourselves. Continue to social distance, wear a cloth face mask when around others and wash your hands frequently. Also, please remember that what you do off campus will directly affect all of us on campus.

Be safe, have some fun, be responsible and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike