Vaccines Work - Get Yours Now: Week of July 23rd, 2021

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni and our many Friends,

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus where we’ve been cleaning up after some pretty strong thunderstorms rumbled through here on Wednesday, leaving us without power both here and at The Eye Institute in East Oak Lane for almost a day. Things are pretty much back to normal now but that’s after having to close early on Wednesday and half the day on Thursday. Always something! That said, there are some pretty good “somethings” I wanted to make you aware of below: 

DEEP DIVE INTO AUDIOLOGY: Check out our latest podcast, which includes a discussion with Christopher Speece, assistant director of Admissions at Salus University, about the Audiology program, what it entails and how to become a competitive candidate for the application process. Click here to listen.

NEW LASER LAB FEATURES: In this story, Alissa Coyne, OD ‘10, Resident ‘11, FAAO, course coordinator for the Ophthalmic Lasers and Minor Surgical Procedures course and assistant professor in the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University, details what’s now featured in the new Laser Suite on the University’s Elkins Park campus. Read more here.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: This week’s Where Are They Now profiles Tiffani Methuen, OD ‘19, who shares how some of her PCO/Salus mentors helped her achieve her professional goals. Read more here.

OT DIPLOMA DAY, TAKE II: As I mentioned last week, the OT department held its first-ever OT Diploma Day recently. More than half the graduating Class of 2021 attended the event, which allowed the students the opportunity to see each other, socialize and celebrate their accomplishments. For a story and photos of the celebration, click here.

WET PAINT: As we do every summer, we’re sprucing up our facilities with some fresh paint. Please be aware while walking around campus that we’ve started our normal summer projects throughout all of our buildings, including in the stairwells. The work will take place after 4:30 p.m. to avoid high-traffic times. I just love the smell of fresh paint!

FALL COMMENCEMENT: I want to remind everyone to save the date for Fall Commencement that is currently scheduled to be held at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12th. Our guest speaker and honorary degree recipient will be Ms. Alison Beam, Acting PA Secretary of Health.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I know you are all either reading or hearing about the prevalence of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. What saddens me about the continued spread of this more infectious and potentially dangerous variant is the fact that this all was preventable. Millions of Americans have received either the Moderna, Pfizer or Janssen vaccines with minimal side effects and proof of great efficacy. Unfortunately, almost half of those eligible to receive the vaccine in our country have not done so and many of those are in healthcare. Imagine if this vaccine hesitancy occurred when the smallpox or polio vaccines were developed. We would still be dealing with both on a broad scale, yet smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980 and the U.S. has been polio free since 1979. Vaccines work!

As I’ve said in the past, as healthcare professionals, I strongly believe it is our responsibility to set the example and get vaccinated. We also need to be playing a key role in helping to educate those who have yet to make that decision. We can do this by providing factual, scientific data that clearly explains the importance of getting vaccinated. The longer we allow this virus to spread and ultimately mutate, the more dangerous it can get, the more lives will be lost and the longer we will have to live with it. It is imperative we break the chain of possible hosts this very opportunistic virus has - and the only way to effectively accomplish this is by getting the majority of us vaccinated. So, if you’re currently not vaccinated, please take the time to learn more about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines to make you more comfortable with getting it. It’s the right decision to make.

As you prepare for the weekend, please be smart about your interactions around other people, even if you are fully vaccinated. I recommend (and continue to do so myself) wearing a face mask in places such as grocery stores or places that large groups of people you may not know tend to go. If you are unvaccinated, you need to wear a mask when around others indoors and when in larger crowds outdoors. Remember that our vaccine requirement policy goes into effect on August 13th. Please don’t get caught off-guard.

Be safe, look out for each other and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike