The Imperative of Exercising Your Right to Vote: Week of October 28, 2022

 

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

Greetings from sunny San Diego where I have been attending the annual meetings of the Armed Forces Optometric Society and American Academy of Optometry. It’s been great seeing colleagues and friends and watching our faculty shine in the lecture halls of the convention center. In addition to what’s been happening here, things on campus have been buzzing:

ARCHER TO HOST LOFK EVENT: We are thrilled that Johnny Archer, reporter and anchor for NBC10, will host for our annual “Looking Out for Kids” charity fundraiser November 12, 2022, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Archer attended Downingtown High School and Delaware County Community College. He received his bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media from Temple University. Read more here.

VISIONING THE FUTURE: Congratulations to PCO student Makayla Cain, PBHS ‘21, ‘26OD, who participated in our Post-Baccalaureate in Health Science and Summer Enrichment Programs (SEP)! She was recently accepted into the National Optometric Association’s (NOA) Visioning the Future program which advances the professional and career development of African American students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Click here to read more.

DIWALI CELEBRATION: Salus University marked the start of Diwali, known as the five-day Festival of Lights, which is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains globally, with an on-campus celebration Oct. 24, 2002. Students, faculty and staff gathered on the Elkins Park campus, to celebrate Diwali, which translated means "rows of lighted lamps." Salus MSCO student, Pragna Saripudi ‘23OD, shared her culture and experience by making a presentation on Diwali.

CPPD UPDATE: A few items from the Center for Personal and Professional Development to consider: CPPD's Jana Walker will offer a six-week trauma informed yoga class over Zoom beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. All levels are welcome. Contact CPPD for Zoom meeting and pass code; Dr. Cristina Laracuente's schedule will change effective Nov. 1, 2022. She will be available in person on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and virtually on Thursdays from 1 to 8 p.m. Updated hours for the entire CPPD team can always be found here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Whenever I visit San Diego, I am reminded of the time when I served as Director of the Navy Medical Service Corps (MSC), leading allied health sciences and hospital administration specialties. During that time, two of our MSC officers were killed in the line of duty while serving in Afghanistan. One of those officers, Lieutenant Florence Choe, sought career advice from me during a brief meeting. I suggested it would be beneficial to her career to deploy, which she did. Lieutenant Choe and her fellow Navy officer were killed in a “blue on blue” attack when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them while they were jogging during that deployment. She was laid to rest at Fort Rosecrans Military Cemetery, overlooking the Pacific (see below). The loss remains fresh in my mind and is deeply poignant.

Standing graveside on Wednesday, I couldn’t help but think about the ultimate sacrifice that she and so many have made to preserve democracy here and abroad. The freedoms we take for granted have been paid for multiple times over with the lives of generations of Americans.

As we approach Election Day on November 8th, prepare to exercise a core tenet of our democracy: vote for candidates who closely align with your values and beliefs. To ignore this responsibility minimizes the sacrifices of Lieutenant Choe and all who gave their lives so we and others can be free.

As you prepare to vote, please think about the issues that directly impact our freedoms including: the freedom for all to vote, supports the elimination of racism, and respects everyone’s individual rights. All these issues impact our shared commitment to serve our patients and equal access to high quality healthcare and healthcare choices.

As you prepare for the weekend and Election Day the following week, please keep those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country in your thoughts and prayers. Stay safe, get your Covid booster and flu vaccine, if you already haven’t and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Exercising Your Right To Vote To Preserve Our Democracy: Week of October 21, 2022

 

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

Good morning! It’s a beautiful, cool Fall morning in Elkins Park where I hope everyone is as energized as I am! With our commencement ceremony in the rearview mirror, our planning for the Spring is underway with lots to do between now and then! Planning for the renovation of the first floor, south building is nearly complete. I can’t wait for construction to begin! Here are some other items of interest:

A DAY OF PRIDE: Eighty-eight graduates from our Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) and the College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation (CHER) received master’s and doctorate degrees at our 125th commencement ceremony last week. Click here to read more about the special day.

‘COVID CLASS’ GETS ITS LONG WHITE COATS: The 47 students in the Salus Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Class of 2022 walked into the Hafter Center for their Long White Coat ceremony Oct. 12 to the strains of “Celebration,” the 1978 hit by Kool and the Gang. The “COVID Class” as it was known was ready to finally celebrate. Click here for more about the ceremony.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ADVOCACY: Salus student Weilong Li ‘23PA understands his impact on future generations of Physician Assistants (PA) and is using his personal platform to advance the PA profession. Read more about his efforts here.

CLASS OF 2022-23 RESIDENT: Since she was little, Allison Raff, OD ‘22, ’23 Resident, knew she wanted to be a doctor. While an undergrad student at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, she learned about different professions and decided she wanted to have a specialty. Now she’s one of our residents. Read more about Dr. Raff’s journey here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Exercising our right and responsibility to vote is core to a functional democracy, and especially critical now, as a woman’s right to choose, health equity, gun control, economic stability, national defense and other consequential issues are hotly debated. Every one of the professions we train at Salus is statutorily regulated. Because of this, it is extremely important to understand where candidates stand on scope of practice issues, as well as all the other issues, no matter what profession you serve.

As we approach election day, I anticipate the ads we see will become more frequent and negative. I strongly encourage you to seek out multiple, reliable, unbiased sources of information when deciding for whom to vote. The U.S. government has a helpful guide with resources for making informed choices. Likewise, candidate voting records can predict how candidates will vote in the future. Social media posts tend to represent opinions rather than facts. I try to keep this in mind and verify facts using multiple sources before taking a position.

If you have not yet registered to vote, it’s not too late. In Pennsylvania, the deadline to register to vote is October 24th. If you decide to vote by mail or require an absentee ballot, it must be requested by November 1st and received by November 8th in order for it to be counted.

As you prepare for the weekend, get out and enjoy the Fall colors, which should be peaking around here. If you haven’t yet gotten your COVID bivariant booster and Flu shot, please get those scheduled as soon as you can. I’d like to ensure that we’re fully protected as we get closer to the holidays. Stay safe, remain healthy and stay SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Congratulations New Grads: Week of October 14, 2022

 

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

Greetings on a beautiful fall morning from our Elkins Park campus. It’s been a busy week at Salus. On Wednesday, we celebrated our newest class of physician assistants with our Long White Coat ceremony. Yesterday, our 125th commencement at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia launched our latest group of graduates with inspirational remarks given by Admiral Tom Cullison. We look forward to watching our graduates spread their wings as they leave our nest. Check out our website in the coming days for stories on both of those events.

In other campus news:

THE FIRST OF MANY ‘FIRSTS’: The inaugural class of the new Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P) program at Salus University recently had its first patient experience in a didactic setting. And, its relevance wasn’t lost on the students. Read more about this unique experience for our O&P students here.

CLASS OF 2022-23 RESIDENT: As a child, Taral Patel, OD ‘22, ‘23 Resident, liked going to the eye doctor. As a youngster with eye issues, she needed to see an optometrist every year, and each time she went, it was a good experience. Read more here about Dr. Patel’s journey to becoming an optometrist and continuing her quest to learn as one of our current group of residents.

O&M GRANT: The University’s Orientation and Mobility (O&M) program received a grant from the Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation to support its internship programs. Read more here about what that means for our O&M students.

STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS: As the cost of higher education skyrockets, I know many students are worried about paying off their loans. The Bennett Career Services Center will be hosting an event on Student Loan Forgiveness & Non-Traditional Employment Options on Thursday, October 20th on the Elkins Park campus, room S300 from 6:00PM – 7:30PM. They be featuring several government, non-profit, military, etc. programs that offer student loan forgiveness. Don't miss your chance to learn about these life-changing programs!

LOOKING OUT FOR KIDS: I want to remind everyone about our upcoming Looking Out For Kids charity fundraiser on 12 November at 6:30 PM. This year’s event will be head at the National Constitution Center where we will be honoring Professor Kovin Naidoo with our Lighthouse Award. If you haven’t already purchased your tickets, please consider going to our website here to help us provide healthcare for children in need.

FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s been a great week! I want to once again wish all our graduating professionals the very best of everything as they leave Salus and begin their new and exciting professional careers.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. It’s going to be a pretty one, so try to get out and enjoy some of the early Fall colors. If you already haven’t, please schedule your Covid and Flu vaccines. CDC is predicting an upsurge of both as we approach winter, and I want to be certain that we have as much protection as possible.

Stay safe, continue to look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Addressing Gun Violence In Our City: Week of October 7, 2022

 

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

Good morning from Seven Springs, Pennsylvania where Dr. Trego and I are attending the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Optometric Association. It’s cool and crisp here with the leaves already starting to change! While I travel, clinics, labs and classes all are going strong. We’ve also been preparing for next week’s commencement festivities, where we will celebrate the accomplishments of the Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2022, as well as graduates from OCA and OT, Biomedicine and BLVS.

Here are some things that I hope are of interest to you:

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: We are excited to welcome Rear Admiral Thomas R. Cullison, who will be our commencement speaker for the University’s 125th ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. RADM Cullison will also receive the Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters. A mentor to me for many years, RADM Cullison will motivate and educate all of us! I look forward to introducing him to all of you! To read more, click here.

GIVING WEEK: Join us for the annual Salus Giving Week, ending October 8, by supporting student scholarships, capital improvements, and community outreach. Your donation enables us to prepare emerging health professionals and to serve communities in the Philadelphia region. For more information, click here.

CENTER STAGE: When Kim Edmonds, MS, CCC-SLP, is not busy working with the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) and Post-baccalaureate in SLP programs at Salus University, she and her husband Ryan Edmonds, OD ‘10, spend their free time at the Forge Theatre. Recently, the pair was involved in a production of Xanadu, based on the Universal Pictures cult classic movie. Read more about it here.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR GRADS: Carleen Dumas, MS ‘18, co-owner and director of My Child’s Therapy, not only likes hiring Salus graduates for her business, but she has been a valued partner to our SLP department and now provides externship opportunities for current master’s SLP students. Click here to read more.

A BIG FIRST: When Luz Figueroa, AuD ‘22, graduated from the Salus University Osborne College of Audiology (OCA) in the fall, she became OCA’s first and only MSc in Clinical Audiology graduate to date from Ecuador. Read more about her here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This past week I was in Detroit as part of the Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange (GPLEX). The group, sponsored by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, is designed to have civic leaders visit another city, in this case Detroit, to learn what they have done to make their city a better place to live.

In 2013, Detroit was the only major city in the United States to declare bankruptcy. Since that time, Detroit has emerged as a stronger, more resilient city by building partnerships and leveraging philanthropy through trust and hard work. One of the key themes that emerged from our meeting was that crisis, in this case bankruptcy, was the forcing function to propel Detroit in the right direction.

As we considered the parallels in Philadelphia, we recognized that we, too, have a crisis we should be rallying behind – not bankruptcy, but gun violence. By August, over 322 people have been killed and over 1400 injured due to gun violence in Philadelphia. Most recently, a 14-year-old boy was killed in Roxborough and 4 others wounded in gun-related violence. This is a public health crisis of remarkable magnitude. It is a call to action for our city leaders, local industry, healthcare and academic institutions.

While there are no simple solutions to the issue, the first step is recognizing it as a major crisis. Many of the social determinants of health -- including food insecurity, inaccessible healthcare, poor housing, crime, poverty, unemployment, contribute to the epidemic, in addition to social unrest and systemic racial discrimination. The pandemic likely contributed to this most recent uptick in gun violence, but make no mistake about it, this has been a long-standing problem that has not been adequately addressed over time. Exacerbating this has been the opioid epidemic, a long-standing challenge impacting many of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable populations.

As healthcare providers, we need to be acutely aware of and to take steps to make a difference through the direct service we provide to our patients, civic and professional advocacy, and voting for leaders who will prioritize violence prevention and safety net supports for vulnerable populations. Until key decision makers and others in our community are willing to address this issue head-on, much like Detroit has addressed many of its issues following their bankruptcy, we are not going to see much progress.

As you begin your weekend, please think about how we can help address the gun violence epidemic Philadelphia is currently experiencing. In addition to greater advocacy at state and local levels for increased access to quality healthcare, helping to fight food insecurity in our region, what else might we do individually and collectively to impact this issue? I look forward to hearing from you.

As you ponder this question, please remain safe, continue to follow CDC masking guidelines when out and about, look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike