Salus New Year Message: Week of January 1st, 2021

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

As we prepare to thankfully leave 2020 in our rearview mirrors and welcome in 2021, I want to take this opportunity to thank the entire university community for your continued support, indefatigable resiliency and compliance with our Salus Safety Strategy which has allowed us to effectively provide our world-class programs, overcoming significant challenges along the way. You all rock!

Reflecting upon 2020, with its many challenges, it has been a year of intense focus, clarity and noteworthy achievements, to include the completion of our Standardized Patient Simulation Laboratory; our Occupational Therapy Program received a 10-year reaccreditation; we celebrated milestone professional recognition for several of our faculty and staff members; we recognized 4 outstanding faculty members with the Presidential Medal of Honor; several of our professions have already achieved or are on the road to achieving 100% national board pass rates; we welcomed our new Special Assistant for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams; we welcomed our new Dean of the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation, Dr. Jim Konopack; we wished Mr. Bill Brichta a fond farewell as he began his retirement and welcomed Ms. Regina Scriven as our new Vice President, Technology and Learning Resources and we recently received a $750,000 Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the state to help fund our new Orthotics and Prosthetics program.

While 2021 promises to be much brighter than 2020, we still have a ways to go before we approach any semblance of what we would consider normal. History reminds us that in the midst of a crisis, things might actually get worse before they get better. For example, in late 1944, following the successful D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, it seemed as if the Second World War was all but over. On Dec. 16, with the onset of winter, the German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favor. Thousands were killed or wounded. The battle that ensued is known historically as the Battle of the Bulge. The U.S. Army ultimately beat back the German offensive, but with great sacrifice, and continued their drive toward Berlin, thus helping to end World War II.

We can draw some parallels from this to what we’re experiencing today. While there are now several vaccines approved for COVID-19 around the world, experts are still predicting a rather grim winter for our country, given the current number of infections and hospitalizations. Thus, it’s imperative that we continue our diligence with wearing face masks, social distancing and frequent hand washing. While these measures are certainly effective, as you know, we have also implemented our “Return to Learn” testing program for all students and clinical faculty returning to campus for scheduled instruction. To date, over 500 people have signed up for their tests and I’m sure others are preparing to do that this week. Remember, you cannot return to campus for your scheduled instruction unless you have evidence of a negative test. Additionally, throughout the semester we will be offering testing solutions to our students returning to campus from their externship, clerkship and other clinical rotations.

There is light at the end of the tunnel as we look towards 2021. We will emerge from this public health emergency stronger, smarter and better prepared for the next time we’re confronted with any emergency that comes our way. We are better healthcare providers, with refined critical thinking skills. 

My staff and I are working hard to ensure we receive the vaccine along with other healthcare professionals at the appropriate time. As you know, we’ve applied to become a COVID-19 vaccine closed Point of Dispensing (POD) that will help to ensure all of us, including our immediate family members, are vaccinated efficiently. Hopefully, that will be approved shortly.

Needless to say, 2020 has been a most challenging year for us all; probably the most in our school’s 100-year history. Personally, I can’t wait to see our classrooms and labs full of students and faculty and be able to show up on campus and not wear a mask and douse my hands with hand sanitizer. But, that will all have to wait. Looking ahead, 2021 does promise to be a much brighter and exciting year. As vaccines become more ubiquitous, and people receive them, things will improve quickly. Salus is a great university because of the students, faculty, staff and volunteer board members that bring our university to life. That has never been more apparent to anyone looking at us than this year. I look forward to working with each and every one of you as we prepare for an exciting 2021 and position ourselves for another year of great accomplishments, growth and successes.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year. Stay safe, stay healthy and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Happy Holidays: Week of December 18th, 2020

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

Good morning from a beautiful, cold, snow-covered Elkins Park campus. While we, happily, didn’t get the 10 -14 inches of snow originally predicted, we got enough to make it look like a winter wonderland. We’ve made it through the semester; face masks, social distancing, virtual classes and all! I look forward to the day when we are mask-less, able to meet in larger groups and see our campus buzzing with activity again! As we get ready to depart on Winter Break, just a few things to leave you with:

WELCOME TO REGINA SCRIVEN: Please join me in welcoming Regina Scriven as the University’s new vice president of Technology and Learning Resource Services. Regina comes to us after serving more than eight years as director of Information Technology for the School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Welcome aboard, Regina. We’re so happy to have you as part of the Salus team. To read more about Regina, go to salus.edu/ReginaScriven.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” features Brittney Hamlett, MMS ‘17, a physician assistant in the Emergency Room at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore. Read more about how Brittney’s career has progressed since her graduation at salus.edu/BrittneyHamlett. 

SLP PODCAST: Check out the first of a five-part ongoing podcast series about the University’s Speech-Language Pathology program. Chair and program director Bob Serianni talks to some of our students from the Class of 2022. Click here to listen to the podcast.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT DAY: Very special thanks to Jeanne DiVincenzo and her staff at CPPD for leading a very thought-provoking discussion on things we all could be doing to help recognize and alleviate the stress our students, faculty and staff have been experiencing during the pandemic. I found this extremely helpful, personally - thank you! We hope to continue this important discussion next semester.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Congratulations on making it through probably one of the most challenging semesters in our history. I look forward to getting the vaccine and getting on with our normal lives! A Navy tradition I have embraced through the years was who ever had the watch on Christmas Eve was supposed to write a “clever” poem in the logbook. As a junior officer, I had to come up with several. So, I will leave you with this, as we all prepare to get some much-needed rest and relaxation: 

‘Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the campus,

Not a student was stirring, not in clinics or classes;

The finals were finished, the grades were prepared,

In hopes that an “A” soon would be there;

The pandemic has challenged through much of the year,

But even with that, we have all persevered;

A vaccine is in sight,

That sure will end our plight;

With the New Year approaching,

We hope for no masks and in-person toasting;

As we wait for the end of this long misery,

We look to next summer when we’ll be COVID free!

While we wait for that time with patience and hope,

We wish you all peace, rest and time on the slopes.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa to all and to all a good night! 

Be safe, get some rest, and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Hitting the Wall: Week of December 11th, 2020

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

Good morning from a cold and very quiet Elkins Park Campus. As a precaution, with few exceptions, most of our students, faculty and staff are off campus following the Thanksgiving break. Our labs and clinics remain open with plans for clinics and the Elkins Park campus to shut down from 24 December – 4 January. Even with limited activities on campus, much has been happening virtually.

AUDIOLOGY LEARNING EXPERIENCE: The Audiology Learning Experience is scheduled from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. today. The program includes a program overview, admissions tips, campus tour and more. It's the first time it will be held virtually and so far, 15 prospective students registered.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Our “Where Are They Now” feature this week focuses on Jenae Stiles, OD ‘17, FAAO, who after graduation started a three-year active duty tour with the U.S. Army. Find out how the training she received at Salus helped her handle some complex cases right at the start of her professional career as an optometrist. Go to salus.edu/JenaeStiles.

TOLAND SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: The Joseph C. Toland Memorial Scholarship winner this year is Heather McKay ‘22OD from Columbia, Maryland. Read about the unique and fun way that Heather found out she won the award by going to salus.edu/HeatherMcKay.

LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARDS: Although the Salus Holiday Party will not be held as usual this year, an important part of the event — the Length of Service Award presentations — will still be conducted. I’ve recorded a video to acknowledge all faculty and staff who recently celebrated a five-year milestone in 2020. Salus has many dedicated employees who have contributed to the success of the University over the years and we look forward to keeping that prestigious list growing. Look for that video and a story on our website before the holidays.

HAPPY CHANUKAH: As Dr. Mosley-Williams acknowledged yesterday in an email to the University community, today marks the first day of Chanukah. I’d like to wish all of our Jewish colleagues and friends a very happy and healthy Chanukah as they celebrate the Festival of Lights.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Many of you know that I have run several marathons, most recently in Berlin last year. Marathoners often describe “hitting the wall” at around mile 20, something I’ve experienced as well. The advice for overcoming this physical and psychological phenomena is to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and focusing on the finish line and I can tell you it works. Applying this same advice may help us work through the next few months of the pandemic.

Back in March, we thought the pandemic would be over within a couple of months, as opposed to potentially over a year. Right now, many of us are “hitting the wall”. Some have characterized it as pandemic fatigue. I think what people are feeling right now more closely aligns with human nature. We’re just not built to withstand this level of stress, facing the unknown for long periods of time. That’s why it’s imperative, now, more than ever, to concentrate on placing one foot in front of the other to get to the finish line – remaining safe and healthy. In order to do that, we have to maintain trust in our current protocols. While they have been effective to date, we are discussing ways to augment them to continue to keep us safe.

In addition to conducting testing prior to our “Return to Learn” for the Spring Semester, as more cost-effective testing options become available, we are discussing ways we can augment what we are already doing to keep the Salus Community safe and get us all the way through the pandemic. This could include testing students returning to campus from externship or clerkship sites, where appropriate.

We’re also looking forward to when vaccines are being deployed to the general public. We’ve applied to become a vaccine administration site so we can ensure the Salus Community receives the vaccine in a timely fashion. While not guaranteed, we’re hopeful our application is approved. I realize how stressful and tiring this is for everyone. I ask that you continue to hang in there as we look towards the future. We just need to focus on the finish line and we’ll all get there together, I promise.

So, as we approach this weekend, especially in light of the Governor’s increased pandemic restrictions on indoor dining, indoor gym activities, and the number of people who can congregate inside and out, please try to maintain what the U.S. Surgeon General calls the 3 “W’s” - Wear a face mask, Wash your hands and Watch your distance. Try to get outside - away from others - and enjoy the warmer weather. It won’t be long before it gets much colder!

Please continue to act responsibly and remain SALUS STRONG! If you would like to talk with one of our counselors at CPPD, just hit the link here to get an appointment.

Mike

Dealing with the Stress and Preventing the Spread of COVID: Week of December 3rd, 2020

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

I wish everyone a good morning from a cold, almost deserted Elkins Park campus. In light of the projected increase in COVID-19 cases secondary to the Thanksgiving holiday, all of our programs made adjustments to minimize their presence on campus and in our clinics to ensure student, faculty and staff safety. That said, our clinics have remained open thanks to our clinical faculty at TEI and those students who are currently assigned to clinical rotations in PEI and SLI. Even with the apparent lack of visible activity on campus, things still continue to happen. These include: 

SIMULATION LAB RIBBON-CUTTING: We cut the ribbon this week on our new state-of-the-art Standardized Patient Simulation Lab that was made possible by a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). Now, all of our students will have the opportunity to work in a genuine clinical setting without having to leave the Elkins Park campus. To read more about the renovation project and what it means to our faculty and students, go here.

A BRIGHTER THANKSGIVING: Thanks to Dean of Student Affairs Dr. James Caldwell; Center for Personal & Professional Development (CPPD) counselor Tami April-Davis; vice president of Finance Don Kates; chief of staff Brian Zuckerman; and Matt Morett, chief manager of the University’s Cafe for Metz Culinary, for putting their heads together to make Thanksgiving a little brighter for our students who chose not to go home for the holiday. They created a “Turkey Gobbler” event that allowed 72 students to get a Thanksgiving dinner while remaining close to campus as opposed to traveling home during the holiday. To read more, check out salus.edu/TurkeyGobbler. 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” feature is on Jenna Fenton, AuD ‘20. While at Salus, Dr. Fenton conducted research on cochlear synaptopathy, also known as hidden hearing loss, with her mentor, Dr. Martin Pienkowski, PhD, associate professor at the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA). Read more about how Dr. Fenton has been able to continue working with hidden hearing loss patients in her professional career at salus.edu/JennaFenton.

LUNCH & LEARN EVENT: The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee’s most recent Lunch & Learn event featured Jeffrey Carroll, PhD, assistant professor of Political Science and the chair of the Center for Data & Society at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Dr. Carroll offered his perspective on the topic, “2020 Election Results, National Impact and Marginalized Populations.” To read more about that discussion, go to salus.edu/ElectionEffect.

GRAND ROUNDS: The next Grand Rounds at The Eye Institute (TEI) will be at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11. The virtual event will feature Dr. Dominic Brown on “Triple Threat: Low Vision Rehabilitation Strategies for Central, Peripheral and Hemianopic Vision Loss” and Dr. Preet Dhami on “Ocular Complications of Uncontrolled Diabetes … Starring the Type 1 Diabetic: A Look into Diabetic Retinopathy after Cataract Surgery.” For more information click here.

FACULTY FOCUS: Featured in our Faculty Focus this week is Patricia Martin Mayro, who was one of our first faculty members when the Speech-Language Institute (SLI) opened its doors in 2015. Read more about how the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) department has evolved and Trish’s role in the department here.

PEER MENTORING PROGRAM: Our Peer Mentoring program continues to be strong. The purpose of the program is for second-year students to help first-year students become acclimated to the Optometry, Audiology and Occupational Therapy programs (the Physician Assistant Studies and Speech-Language Pathology programs have their own, separate peer programs). To read more about the program, go to this link.

DEALING WITH STRESS: I know that many of you, in addition to dealing with the stress caused by the pandemic, are also in the midst of preparing for final exams, leaving for externships or other clinical rotations or planning for a trip home for the holidays. I encourage each of you to be looking out for each other. Consider some virtual get togethers or even a small group, socially distanced activity outside to help alleviate some of the stress. You can also make an appointment to speak with any of our counselors in CPPD here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: To those of you who opted not to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, you have my sincere thanks. There have been a record number of COVID-19 cases both nationally and locally over the last couple of weeks and secondary to holiday travel, most experts expect those numbers to increase even more by early next week.

While the FDA is preparing to issue an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer vaccine sometime within the next week or so, which will likely be followed by an EUA for the Moderna vaccine shortly afterwards, we are not out of the woods. While the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, I don’t anticipate we will be back to what anyone might consider normal until early or mid-summer of 2021. It’s easy to get complacent knowing there is a vaccine that’s ready to be distributed, especially after all the sacrifices we’ve had to make since March. The truth is, we need to remain focused on staying healthy and safe until a large majority of the population receives the vaccine, which won’t be for a while. That means remaining conscientious about following all the guidelines outlined in our Salus Safety Strategy that we’ve been successfully following all these months:

• Continue to socially distance
• Wear a face mask when not around others in your immediate household indoors and outside and on campus at all times
• Wash your hands frequently
• Don’t leave your home if you’re not feeling well
• For faculty and staff, if you don’t need to be on campus, please work from home

You have been doing an exceptional job in helping us get to the end of this semester. Because of your efforts, as a Salus Community, we have remained healthy and safe. We have been able to conduct our classes both in-person and virtually and provide required laboratory and clinical instruction in our own clinics and through external clinical rotations. That is no small feat in the midst of a global pandemic. You should feel extremely proud of this accomplishment. I certainly feel very proud to be associated with you as you’ve navigated through these rough waters. We still have some treacherous waters in front of us, but I have no doubt that we’ll get through those relatively unscathed as well. A quick reminder - if you already haven’t, please ensure you download the COVID Alert PA app here. This will allow you to opt-in to receive alerts if you have had a potential exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

As you prepare for the weekend, even with the rain predicted on Saturday, try to find some places outside that aren’t crowded and enjoy the fresh air. Winter break will be here before we know it and looking ahead, some much needed rest and relaxation.

Be safe, continue to act responsibly and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike