Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,
I hope everyone has been enjoying the very nice reprieve from winter! The pond in the middle of campus is almost totally ice-free and our ducks and Canadian geese are returning. As we prepare to lose an hour of sleep later this weekend as Daylight Savings Time begins early Sunday morning, we should also reflect on the fact that one year ago today we effectively pivoted to an online, hybrid educational model within 72 hours. As I walked around the campus and clinics this week I was energized by the level of excitement I saw in all of you. While not nearly back to normal yet, there is still a great deal of activity within our University community that is a testimony to your resilience, dedication and professionalism. Here’s some of what’s happening around campus:
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! If you’ve been at The Eye Institute or on the Elkins Park campus this week, you may have noticed a film crew at work. That’s the folks from The College Tour, a TV series hosted by Alex Boylan, that tells the story of a single college through the lens of its students. They’re doing a half-hour show on Salus University, and have enlisted a number of our students and a few of our faculty members to be in front of the camera detailing the many wonderful aspects of our University. Some students have had the opportunity to appear as extras, and I even have a cameo appearance in the end. This is going to be a great marketing opportunity for Salus and will help us to attract prospective students and faculty. We’ll keep you updated as to when the show will air.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now features Rachel Plavnik, MS ‘19, who after graduation moved to Los Angeles where she is a speech-language pathologist at a skilled nursing facility and also works part-time at a local hospital. Read more about Rachel’s journey into the professional world at salus.edu/RachelPlavnik.
LOOKING OUT FOR KIDS: In what will be the first of several reminders in the coming weeks, Salus University’s 14th annual “Looking Out for Kids” fundraiser will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1. This year’s event is virtual and will honor TD Bank as the “Lighthouse Award” winner. Once again, NBC10 News anchor Rosemary Connors will host the event. To purchase virtual tickets or VIP reception boxes online, visit SalusUhealth.com/LOFK. Please RSVP by April 9, 2021.
EMERITUS STATUS: The University’s Board of Trustees recognized the many contributions of board member Jane Scaccetti over the past 12 years and granted her emeritus status at its first board meeting in January. Jane has served as chair of the Finance Committee and most recently as chair of the Health Services Committee and was a member of the Executive Committee. She will now participate and continue to contribute as an emeritus trustee. Thank you Jane, for all you have done and will continue to do for Salus. To read more about Jane’s service, go to salus.edu/JaneScaccetti.
VACCINATIONS FOR UNION MEMBERS: As you might have seen in your emails yesterday, on Thursday, March 18, UFCW Local 1776 will be partnering with ACME Pharmacies to offer vaccinations for its union members in the Toland Classroom at TEI. We are pleased to assist in this effort, which will benefit those in our patient service, housekeeping and facilities staff that are members of Local 1776. Those employees will receive a separate email with more information on how to register for an appointment. Unfortunately, due to limited supply and their mandate, vaccinations are not able to be provided to non-union members in the Salus community. However, we are continuing to lobby local government for increased vaccination opportunities for the Salus community.
FINAL THOUGHTS: As many of us reflect on the last year and how we have all had to make significant changes and sacrifices along the way, I can’t help but to feel very proud of the way that Salus has weathered the storm. Because of the manner in which everyone has conducted themselves, when we compare ourselves to other institutions, we have had lower numbers of COVID cases than most of our peers and we have been able to provide our essential labs, clinics and classes, often in modified formats, since this began. Throughout this emergency I have been highlighting the fact that our faculty have been rock stars - but so have our students and staff. Organizations get through difficult times as a team and we have done just that. I cannot effectively convey the level of pride I have in leading and representing such a talented, spirited, intelligent and successful group of professionals. You are the ones that make us SALUS STRONG!
As we prepare to set our clocks forward this weekend and lose that hour of sleep, please take some time to reflect on what you have accomplished this year. It should not be minimized. We still have a ways to go, but as vaccines become more available and COVID rates hopefully continue to decrease, it is more important than ever to continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines for social distancing, wearing a face mask when around others, (even if you are vaccinated) and washing your hands frequently. If we do this, then our Fall semester might be more normal. Stay safe, get out and have some fun and come back even SALUS STRONGER!
Mike
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