Academic and Clinical Activities: Week of January 29th, 2021

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

Good morning from a rather frigid Elkins Park campus! I hope everyone is staying warm and safe. Even with the cold weather upon us, our campus has been a hotbed of activity between clinical labs, some face-to-face lectures, virtual teaching and learning and busy clinics. In addition to the academic and clinical activities occurring on campus, we’ve also been busy with other events.

ADVOCACY FOR COVID RELIEF & FINANCIAL AID EQUITY: As most of you know, Salus has been the beneficiary of the two prior COVID relief bills passed by Congress. Those additional funds have helped to offset student expenses as well as purchase PPE, Return to Learn and other COVID testing and help to offset our clinical income losses. New COVID relief legislation proposed by the current administration, CARES ACT III – The American Recovery Plan, currently does not include independent colleges and universities, such as ours. Along with other university & college presidents in our region, I have written to our Congressional delegation asking them to ensure our educational sector is included in the bill. Additionally, we have asked Congress to change the rules addressing Federal Student Aid to allow graduate students to compete for Pell Grants and low-interest student loans. Currently, both of these programs are open only to undergraduate students.

I have attached a sample letter you can feel free to personalize, in addition to links to contact information for your Congressional delegations. This is really important, so please take a few minutes this weekend to let Congress know how they can continue to help our students and institution get through this pandemic.

• U.S. Senator look up 
• U.S. Representative look up 

A CHAT WITH DR. J: I hope you had a chance to participate in the recent virtual chat with Dr. Juliana Mosley-Williams, our Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The session provided the opportunity for people to hear from and engage with Dr. J. in a conversation about the University’s DEI initiatives since she has come on board. Please feel free to reach out to her at any time with input and suggestions.

PARTNERING WITH OTHERS: After receiving an invitation to join the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE), Salus is now a member of the group of nine independent higher education institutions in the Greater Philadelphia region. We are the only graduate-level school in the consortium. The goal of the group is to facilitate collaboration and help improve the quality and efficiency of academic programming, student access, faculty development, institutional operations and community outreach through a wide range of shared activities, services, technology and information. You can learn more about SEPCHE here.

NEW PODCAST SERIES: We have a new podcast series that takes a look at what goes on behind the scenes during a typical day for a doctor at The Eye Institute. Check out the episode with Erin Kenny, OD ‘15, FAAO, Resident ‘16, chief of the William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center, here.

DYNAMIC DUOS: Don’t forget to register for “Dynamic Duos,” a unique and comprehensive lecture discussion scheduled for Feb. 7. Topics and speakers include “Get to Know Your MIGS” with Dr. G. Richard Bennett and Dr. Andrew Meagher; “Stepwise Strategy to Optimize Ocular Surface Disease Outcomes" with Dr. Clark Chang and Dr. Brandon Ayres; “Medical Artificial Iris Implantation: Why, When and How” with Dr. Chang and Dr. Ayres; and “Expanding Scope of Practice: OCT to OCT-A” with Dr. Byung Josh Kim and Dr. Carlo Pelino. To register, click here.

WELCOME TO NEW BOARD MEMBERS: Please join me in welcoming three new members of the Salus Board of Trustees: Kate Kinslow is the Executive Vice President/Chief Integration Officer of Jefferson Health System. Emily Turner is Vice President of the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs in Philadelphia. Shannon Tornoe is founder/principal of Coast to Coast Insurance Brokers in Radnor, Pennsylvania. The time, energy and expertise our Board members brings to Salus makes us a stronger, more effective institution. Welcome aboard to all of our new members!

VIRTUAL ALE: Last month we held our Audiology Learning Experience (ALE) and for the first time, it was a virtual event. It is designed to expand awareness with undergraduate students about the audiology profession and the Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program at the University’s Osborne College of Audiology (OCA). Read more about it at salus.edu/ALE2020.

TYPES OF HEARING LOSS: Not all hearing loss is the same. The type of hearing loss you have depends on what part of your hearing is damaged. Read more about the four types of hearing loss here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Who would have thought that back in March we’d still be in the throes of this global pandemic? Well, here we are, almost eleven months in with an end in sight. As the vaccine rollout begins, albeit, slowly, that light at the end of the tunnel we’ve talked about for months now, is getting a little brighter. Now is not the time to relax, but rather become even more vigilant with preventive measures. There are multiple new strains circulating around the globe, to include here in PA. The good news is that experts tell us the current vaccines will be effective against them. The bad news is that some of these strains might be up to 70% more transmissible.

Moving forward, it’s going to be extremely important to double down on social distancing, wearing your face mask and hand washing. Some experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, are recommending double masking when out in public, as it will be more effective than a single mask. At the very least, any cloth mask you wear should be two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric. And, of course, they’re only effective if worn properly, over your nose and mouth.

I know several of you have either received your first vaccine dose or are on the schedule to receive it. Once you are fully vaccinated, nothing you do now should change. While that may sound counterintuitive, until more people are vaccinated we must maintain the current course. I suspect (now don’t hold me to this) by late summer, we can begin to relax our precautions and slowly move toward some degree of normalcy. Until then, it is essential that everyone continues to social distance, wear a face mask (or two), and wash hands frequently. As an institution, we have weathered this storm extremely well, thanks to all of you following these guidelines. Let’s not let things slip now!

As we begin this very cold weekend, I encourage you to bundle up, soak up some vitamin D from the sun and get some fresh air. Continue to follow all of the COVID precautions and stay SALUS STRONG! 

Have a great weekend!

Mike

Democracy Prevails: Week of January 22nd, 2021

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

Good morning from a chilly, but energized Elkins Park Campus. We’ve been a beehive of activity with both virtual and some in-person classes, clinical labs and providing direct patient care in all of our busy clinical settings. It’s been quite a week! Here are some of the things we have to be proud of looking back as well things we’re looking forward to next week:  

SALUS PROUD: President Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Rachel Levine to be Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Levine, the current Secretary of Health for Pennsylvania, who received an honorary doctorate from Salus University and was a commencement speaker in 2017, could be the first openly transgender federal official to win Senate confirmation. Congratulations to Dr. Levine for this prestigious nomination.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” features In-Ae “Grace” Choi, OD ‘18, an optometrist at Northern New Jersey Eye Institute (NNJEI) in South Orange, New Jersey. Find out which two Salus alumni proved to be role models for Dr. Choi as she started her career. To read more, go to salus.edu/GraceChoi.

NAVY COMMISSION: I was honored to commission Ryan Martzall, MMS ‘20, recently into the United States Navy. It ended up being a memorable day for Ryan and for all of us. Read more about the ceremony at salus.edu/MartzallCommissioned.

A DAY IN THE LIFE: Find out what a day in the life of second-year Audiology student Renee Kochinski, ‘23AUD, looks like. It’s both busy and productive. To read more, click here.

QUARTERLY BOARD MEETING: On Monday, we’ll be hosting the 3rd virtual meeting of the Salus Board of Trustees. Normally held on campus, but they’ve had to pivot due to the pandemic, like the rest of us. Our very active and engaged Board is comprised of all volunteer members from varied backgrounds and specialties. We sincerely thank all of them for their support of Salus!

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we all reflect on the last couple of weeks, I believe, no matter what your political or philosophical leanings are, we would all agree how historically significant they were. What was most germane to me is that the culmination of the events leading up to yesterday was the peaceful transfer of power centered around the theme of National Unity that should bring to all of us feelings of hope, self-reflection and a renewed commitment to keep an open mind and embrace the truth. Democracy prevailed. Additionally, history was made with the swearing in of our first female, first black and first Asian-American vice-president, Kamala Harris.

While we won’t agree on everything the new administration brings to the table, we do know that deploying a strategy to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the health of our citizens and of our planet and actively addressing racial and social injustice are key priorities. These are all essential steps toward moving our country forward, “to form a more perfect Union". As healthcare professionals, these initiatives should excite us, as they will enable us to better serve those under our care.

Finally, Amanda Gorman, the country’s first youth poet laureate eloquently challenges and encourages all of us through her words during yesterday’s ceremony that I would hope you all listen to here.

Have a great weekend – be safe, keep wearing your face mask when around others, continue to socially distance and wash your hand frequently. Above all, remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Condemning Violence and Assaults on Our Democracy: Week of January 15th, 2021

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

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus where our students have been actively engaged in their lab work, virtual classroom learning and clinical interactions, both on this campus as well as in East Oak Lane and Chestnut Hill. We are now nine months into the pandemic and even having a limited number of students, faculty and staff on campus and in our clinics is a far cry from normal, yet, thanks to our dedicated and highly motivated faculty, students and staff, our consequential educational mission is effectively being executed.

A BRIGHT FUTURE: U.S. News and World Report recently reported on the 100 best jobs to pursue right now. Four of our professions are listed, including Physician Assistant at No. 1. Speech-Language Pathologist is No. 7, Occupational Therapist is No. 19 and Optometrist is No. 48. Look for a more detailed story about this in the future on our website.

COGNITIVE CLASSROOM: The Speech Language Institute (SLI) has partnered with ReMed, a care center for clients who experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI), to provide a weekly virtual group titled "Cognitive Classroom.” To read more, click here.

GRAND ROUNDS: The next Ground Rounds at The Eye Institute will be at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 22. Dr. Elizabeth Marunde will talk about “Getting Down with the Lateral Rectus: Differentiating Between Heavy and Saggy Eye Syndrome,” and Dr. Korey Patrizi will speak on “A Prescribing Paradox: Steroid Response in a Chronic Case of Irvine-Gass Syndrome.” For more information, click here.

FOCUS ON DR. PELINO: This week’s Faculty Focus is on Dr. Carlo Pelino, assistant professor at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus and chief of The Eye Institute at Chestnut Hill. Learn more about Dr. Pelino, a Salus Presidential Medal of Honor Award winner in 2019, here.

HAFTER SURVEY: Please take a moment to respond to our Group Needs Assessment to help us continue to provide the classes and content you want to see at the Hafter Center. Click here for the survey.

FINAL THOUGHTS: On Monday, we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His life epitomized one of advocacy for equality (racial, economic, educational, and employment), service, non-violence and respect for others. Under more normal circumstances our Salus Community would actively participate in the day of service. Because of the pandemic, I hope you were able to register for one of the virtual opportunities sponsored by globalcitizen365.org. Beyond the day of service, through our Looking Out For Kids and other outreach programs, we have consistently been serving the communities we are a part of by providing vision and hearing screenings to children in underserved communities throughout Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties.

As we reflect on the horrific events at the U.S. Capitol last week and now look forward to the upcoming Inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris next week, it will be incumbent upon all of us to actively embrace the attributes of hope, respect, unity, equality and justice that Dr. King so eloquently and effectively espoused and personified. In doing so, especially, as healthcare professionals, we will be holding ourselves to those same high standards, where we help to set the example at Salus for how that should look. At Salus, we continue to vehemently condemn violence and any assault on our democracy.

Please take some time this weekend to think about and reflect upon how we can all do better in treating each other with civility and respect; with honesty the hallmark in everything we do and say. Be safe, and even as many of you begin to get vaccinated, it’s important to continue to wear your face mask, socially distance, wash your hands frequently and stay SALUS STRONG!

Mike

Happy New Year: Week of January 8th, 2021

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

Happy New Year. It’s been quite a week, to say the least, with 2021 starting out leaving much for us to think about. You all should have received my comments yesterday concerning the events that unfolded in Washington on Wednesday. While the stress of the event is still with many of us, I would like to highlight all the positive things that have been happening on campus since returning from a prolonged holiday break.

FOCUS ON FACULTY: We are fortunate to have an enviable team of world-class faculty at Salus. Take a look at two recent Faculty Focus features, one on Chad Killen, OD ‘19, Resident ‘20, a clinical instructor in primary care services and the other on Eileen Hunsaker, director of Clinical Education in our Department of Speech-Language Pathology. You can read more about Dr. Killen here and more about Ms. Hunsaker here.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT DAY: We held our semi-annual University Faculty Development Day before the holiday break, a virtual event that featured and in-depth presentation by Dr. Ragan DuBose-Morris, associate professor and director of the Office for Telehealth Education at the Medical University of South Carolina. She discussed topics surrounding the growth of telehealth, such as the pandemic’s impact on the industry and educational goals from both academic and clinical perspectives. Read more about UD Day at salus.edu/UDDay2020.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s “Where Are They Now” feature is on Cora Franze, MS ‘20, who recently graduated from our Orientation & Mobility (O&M) program. Find out more about how Cora’s career has gotten off to a good start by going to salus.edu/CoraFranze.

BACK TO THE GYM: With the restrictions on gyms being lifted recently by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, the Hafter Center will reopen on Monday, Jan. 11. The center’s staff continued to provide virtual services this week, including Lifestream classes. Check your emails next week for monthly class schedules.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST: Check out our Facebook page to see pictures of the winners of our virtual Gingerbread House Contest. Congratulations to Rachel Jhala ‘21OD, Brynn Parkin ‘22OT and Anna Demko ‘21AUD. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: The recent, unfortunate events in Washington, along with events leading up to Inauguration Day will fill the news for the next two weeks. As we navigate through these eventful and often stressful times, I want everyone to know that you will not be alone. It’s times like these that bring communities, such as ours at Salus together. It’s okay to share your thoughts with others in a meaningful and respectful way, and I would encourage you to do that, as differing perspectives help us to learn and grow. I’m happy to host a virtual meeting with anyone interested in discussing recent events.

As I said in yesterday’s note to everyone, I have no doubt that our democracy and Constitution will fully withstand yesterday’s assault on the democratic process.

Right now, the most important thing you can do is to maintain your focus on learning your chosen professions and caring for those patients and clients under our care. Your contributions to our healthcare system and ultimately, the country, will be considerable, once you leave Salus. We do all this while still in the middle of a global pandemic. Vaccinations are beginning to become available to some, but they are still not wide-spread. It is essential to continue to wear your face mask when around others, socially distance and wash your hands frequently. This too will end, but not until many more are vaccinated. In the meantime, help control the spread.

As I’ve said before, I don’t think anyone would argue the fact that we are currently living the old Chinese proverb - “living in interesting times”!

Stay safe, remain optimistic and stay Salus Strong! Have a great weekend!

Mike