Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,
Good morning on a cold and sunny morning in Elkins Park. It’s also a sad day as we reflect on the killings that occurred in Atlanta last Tuesday and the increased violent attacks on people of Asian heritage around our country. As I stated yesterday, this is contrary to everything we believe at Salus as we condemn all acts of racism and hate on our campus and in society and we must continue to address the racial and social disparities we see in public health. With all that is going on around us, it’s helpful to spend some time on the positive things that our Salus community has been doing both on and off campus:
IMPACT HBCU: Black Eyecare Perspective, established by PCO/Salus alum Darryl Glover, OD ‘11, in partnership with Dr. Adam Ramsey, has worked toward the goal of obtaining 13 percent representation of Black ODs in the profession since its inception in 2019. To address the eyecare needs of Black Americans in an increasingly diverse society, Dr. Glover teamed up with fellow PCO/Salus alumni Jacobi Cleaver, OD ‘11, and Essence Johnson, OD ‘10 to create Impact HBCU, an initiative that links optometry school recruitment and admissions to students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). To read Part 1 of this three-part series, click here.
FACULTY FOCUS: This week’s Faculty Focus features Kelly Salmon, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLT-LANA, NDC, an assistant professor in our Department of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). Dr. Salmon has recently been involved in conducting admissions interviews with prospective SLP students, and one of the questions many of them ask are her impressions of the Salus program and what she believes makes the University unique. To find out what she tells them, just click here.
EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT: The Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) welcomed its first international cohort of students from Canada in the Spring of 2019, who enrolled in the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy program at Salus. The affiliation between Salus and Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada – the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (VLRC-CNIB) - has proven to be a successful one. To read more, click here.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Our next Where Are They Now profile features Amanda Kaufmann, MS ‘17, who pursued her dream of becoming a speech-language pathologist at Salus University and is now working with children at a private practice in Los Angeles, California.
AUDIOLOGY MENTOR PROGRAM: Session three of the Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) mentor program will be held from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, 2021. The program “Building Your Brand and Expanding Scope of Services” will feature a panel discussion and Q&A with leaders in Audiology on career mapping. For information, click here.
TEI RESEARCH STUDY: The Eye Institute (TEI) is recruiting children ages 3 to 12 for a research study evaluating an investigational medication to help slow myopic progression (poor distance vision). Potential enrollees will receive a no-cost examination at The Eye Institute to determine eligibility. If the child meets the study requirements, they will attend up to 11 visits (about every six months) during the four-year study. If you or somebody you know is interested or if you have questions, please email Jasmine Campbell at jcampbell@salus.edu or call 215-276-6034.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Following the shootings in Arizona that claimed the lives of six people and almost claimed the life of Congresswomen Gabrielle Gifford, President Obama gave a speech in which he noted that, “at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -– at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do -– it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.” He went on to ask all Americans to "expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together." These words are just as pertinent today, maybe even more so. We are living in a world where the tolerance for people, ideas and ideologies different from ours has been deeply diminished. As healthcare providers, our “moral imaginations” should include our commitment to make it part of our mission to help bridge these differences, not through discourse, but through listening, respecting and exhibiting the empathy needed to effectively care for those who seek our help. Bridging these differences won’t be easy, especially now, when our country is so deeply divided. We have to start someplace and I can think of no better place than here, at Salus, where empathy, imagination and respect for others are bound together as we continue to provide quality and compassionate care for our patients and clients, wherever they may be.
As we approach this weekend, please take some time to reflect on the events of this week and remember those who were lost. Also, please take some time to recharge your own physical and mental batteries as you prepare for next week.
You are SALUS STRONG because of the high ideals and moral fortitude you personify and share with every patient and client interaction you have. Please continue to socially distance, wear your double mask and wash your hands frequently.
For those who would like more information about the challenges Asian Americans have been facing during the pandemic, here is a link from our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum www.apiahf.org
Tessler, H., Choi, M., & Kao, G. (2020). The Anxiety of Being Asian American: Hate Crimes and Negative Biases During the COVID-19 Pandemic. American journal of criminal justice: AJCJ, 1–11. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09541-5
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