Addressing Stress In Our Lives: Week of February 24, 2023

 

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

Good morning on a beautiful winter morning from our Elkins Park campus. It’s been another very productive and busy week on campus. On Wednesday we were honored to host Rosemont College President Jim Cawley along with their academic leaders to work on pathways for Rosemont students to gain admission to Salus. It was exciting to hear the abundance of great ideas and to see relationships being built. In addition to all these activities, here are some other items of interest:

WELCOMING AN INTERIM PROVOST: Dr. Gerard (Gerry) O’Sullivan will be joining Salus University as Interim Provost effective March 1, 2023. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in higher education. We are thrilled to have him join our team!

NEW BOT MEMBERS: We are delighted to welcome Eskedar Getahun, Daniel Liberman and William McCune to our Salus University Board of Trustees effective January 2023. Collectively they bring tremendous experience and expertise. We are so excited to have their leadership. Read more about them here.

SAFE ZONE TRAINING: The first of two Safe Zone Training sessions, hosted by the University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the DEI committee, will be held today from noon to 2 p.m. The second session will be on April 18. All are encouraged to attend. Click here to register and for more information.

CAPSTONE CHALLENGE: For her Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Capstone Project, Chrislyn Cabonilas, MMS ’22, chose the topic “Can hormone replacement therapy decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease in women?” Click here to find out what she discovered.

LEARNING STYLE SCREENING: Please stop by the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) at W300B, C, E for a learning style screening event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Feb 27. Screenings are brief and free. Walk-ins welcome. Students are encouraged to stop by to chat with the counselors and receive more information about counseling services and learning styles. Two goodie bags will be raffled off to those who stop in and fill out a screening form.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Today our city mourns the loss of Temple Police Officer Christopher Fitzgerald, who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday. Once again, our community has been rocked by senseless gun violence. Our hearts and prayers are with Officer Fitzgerald’s family, colleagues and the Temple University community.

Last week I wrote about the epidemic of loneliness, despair and pessimism about the future of our country, that was cited by the Surgeon General, and the importance of human connection. I believe the tragic death of Officer Fitzpatrick and many other violent acts -- that we hear about almost daily, find their roots in the Surgeon General’s concerns.

Everyone in our Salus community is acutely aware of stress, whether it be from our busy schedules, family issues or everything else swirling around us in the world. To that end, I want to remind you of some strategies and tools that help:

Stay focused on your studies - Keep up with your learning and try not to fall behind. Not only is focusing on school a great break from focusing on what’s going on in the world, it’s also a way to progress in your life while everything else seems like it’s on pause.

Use social media purposefully and not nonchalantly – Limit your screen time and refrain from posting for “likes” or for the sake of making the “best content.” Use social media to connect with some new classmates or the people you miss seeing every day. If you have children, limit their use of social media and monitor it frequently.

Develop a routine you can maintain - Sounds basic, but it makes a world of difference. Get up, make your bed (now you’ve accomplished at least one thing!), do some exercise, have breakfast, etc.

Get enough sleep – The better rested you are, the more capable your body and mind are at handling things that come your way including stress. Prioritize sleep and you’ll be more productive, resilient and attentive. 

Get outside – There are so many places around us that you can go and safely walk around in nature to clear your mind and get some exercise.

Make sure you have what you need for the next day - Check the schedule, lay out your clothes, make your lunch, etc.

These strategies support focus, health and optimism, which is the most difficult task. We have skilled counselors in our Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) who are there for you. All you need to do is make an appointment here.

As we prepare for the weekend, this up-and-down weather will be leaving us much colder on Saturday and then warmer on Sunday. Try to get out and enjoy the fresh air! Be safe, continue to remain vigilant concerning the prevention of COVID and other illnesses which are still going around so you can remain SALUS STRONG! Have a great weekend!

-Mike

The Importance of Human Connection: Week of February 17, 2023

 

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

I write this week’s update with a very heavy heart as we keep in our thoughts and prayers Michigan State University students who were killed and injured earlier this week and the entire MSU community in the wake of the terrible tragedy. These heinous acts of violence have become all too commonplace throughout our country. Confronting this public health epidemic must be front and center in discussions with our local politicians and policy makers.

We also keep in our prayers and intentions all who have been impacted by the devastating earthquake along the Turkish Syrian border. Please refer to my February 11th LinkedIn post for more information and donation links.

SALUS SOULMATES: Mike Guerriere, MMS ‘18, and Alexandra (Adolph-Gothier) Guerriere, MMS ’18, were in the same Physician Assistant (PA) Studies class when they met. They started out as friends, but then he shoveled her car out of the snow and that led to romance. Click here to read more about Salus University’s featured Valentine’s Day couple.

LGBTQ+ SAFE SPACE TRAINING: Back by popular demand, Stan Kimer will provide a two-hour training session via Zoom on Friday, Feb 24. from noon to 2 p.m. The main subjects covered will include basic terms and definitions, LGBTQ+ history, being an ally, understanding key LGBTQ+ issues and struggles, and understanding and supporting the “coming out” process.

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION: Andrea Tyszka, OTD ‘18, OTR/L, SIPT, and Anna Grasso, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CAPS, ECHM, presented a poster at the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) international conference in Paris highlighting an innovative model of fieldwork that the Salus Occupational Therapy (OT) department utilized during the pandemic. To read more, click here. 

COMMUNICATIONS ON A ROLL: Congratulations to our Office of Communications for achieving two awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and two CUPPIE awards from the College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals (CUPRAP), in the categories of marketing/advertising outdoors and long-form story. So great to see their work recognized! 

DREAMSCAPES EXHIBIT: The newest art exhibit, titled “Dreamscapes,” featuring the work of Kathy Robinson and Jenn Hallgren, is now available to see through March 24, 2023, at the D’Arrigo Family Gallery located inside the Hafter Student Community Center on Salus University’s Elkins Park campus. Click here for a preview.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This week I am attending the annual meeting of the Society of Federal Health Care Professionals, AMSUS, in which our U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has highlighted the epidemic of loneliness, despair and pessimism about the future of our country, and the importance of human connection. Especially among children, social media exposure has fostered feelings of loneliness, isolation and sadness. When people experience togetherness, this raises optimism and creativity. When they experience belonging, their lives are stronger, richer, and more joyful.

Dr. Murthy identifies four strategies that mitigate and directly address the root causes of the crisis. These include:

1. Spend quality time each day with the person(s) you love. This could be as little as 15 minutes with those for whom you care most. 
2.  When talking with someone, give them your full, undivided attention with eye contact and active listening.
3. Embrace solitude through meditation, art, music, prayer, and time spent outdoors.
4. Help and accept help from others. Service is a human connection that helps to remind all of us of our value and purpose in life. Simple acts such as checking on neighbors, seeking advice or smiling at a stranger make us all stronger.

As healthcare providers, we are a vital part of this solution. Giving our patients and students our full attention with kindness, care and respect; limiting the use of social media, especially among our children; spending quality time with family and friends; taking time for self-care; helping and accepting help from others; are all important steps we can take to foster connection and belonging as an antidote to isolation, depression and sadness. While political vitriol, gun violence, social unrest and general pessimism dominate the headlines, the fullest majority of society is comprised of good people doing good things.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of this -- and all that we can do individually and collectively, in and beyond the clinic and classroom, to build a stronger, richer and more creative society.

As we approach this weekend, please take time to reflect upon the strategies that Dr. Murthy shared with all of us so we can all become better connected and in the long-run, better providers for those we care for. Be safe, continue to look out for one another and remains SALUS STRONG!

- Mike

Fly Eagles Fly! Week of February 10, 2022

 

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

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus where things remain busy and productive. We’re starting to move some offices and people around to make room for the renovation project on the first floor of the South building, which is exciting! In addition to this, here are some other items that I hope you will find interesting:

HUMANITARIAN TRIP: A group of Doctor of Optometry students from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University had the chance to go on a humanitarian trip to Nicaragua from Jan. 6-13, to help underserved communities in that country. Click here to read about their experiences.

SLP POST-BACC PODCAST: In our latest podcast, Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, chair and program director of the department of Speech-Language Pathology at Salus University, speaks with adjunct faculty member Lauren Bevan, MS '17, CCC-SLP, about the Post-baccalaureate Speech-Language Pathology Track. For details, click here.

CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY: We are just past the halfway point of our Campus Climate Survey and according to Viewfinder, which is administering the survey for us, the typical completion rate for health professionals at the end of the first four weeks of the survey is 15 percent for students and 50 percent for employees. We have surpassed those numbers with 215 students (18 percent) and 189 employees (53 percent) participating. If you haven’t seen the survey in your email in-box, search for the word “Viewfinder” in your junk/trash folders. There’s still time to participate. Thanks to all of you who have completed the survey to this point.

CASE AWARDS: Congratulations to our Communications Department on receiving two Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Awards: 

• Podcasts (Frequent) - Aphasia Client Shares Her Story of Recovery at SLI
• Writing: News/Feature (1,000+ words) - Grad a Strong Voice of Endurance and Strength

FINAL THOUGHTS: Last week Dr. Vitek and I had the opportunity to attend the annual awards banquet of The Four Chaplains organization. The organization honors four military chaplains who exhibited great courage, compassion and strength when their World War II transport ship, the U.S.A.T. Dorchester, was sunk by a German U-Boat off the coast of Greenland on February 3, 1943. Those chaplains were: LT. George L. Fox, Methodist; LT Alexander D. Goode, Jewish, LT John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and LT Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed. With many men wounded and hurt, the chaplains made their way topside to where the lifejackets were housed and began to distribute them. When the supply of life jackets ran out, they gave their own life jackets to the next man in line. Through the course of the disastrous evening, these four Chaplains provided prayers, encouragement and comfort to survivors.

There are parallels between what these four Chaplains did on the deck of the Dorchester and what you do every day as healthcare professionals. Whether in our clinics, local community schools or via telemedicine, you provide hope and the promise of a better life through improved health, vision, hearing, speech and language, life skills or prosthetics to help others get around. Sometimes in the middle of a busy day, you might forget how the things you do or say affect those in your care. Just as the four Chaplains did on the deck of the Dorchester 80 years ago, you make a difference in everyone’s life daily through your work and commitment to help others.

As you prepare for the weekend, please try to reflect on the sacrifice, heroism and dedication of the Four Chaplains. Here’s a link if you’d like to learn more about their amazing grace under fire.

Also, remember this is Superbowl weekend with our Philadelphia Eagles poised to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Please remember there will be many people out on the streets, especially in Center City, following the game on Sunday, win or lose. Please plan accordingly if you’re going to be out and about. We want everyone back on campus safe, sound and SALUS STRONG!

FLY EAGLES FLY!!!!

-Mike

The Importance of Being Proactive: Week of February 3, 2022

 

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

Good morning on a brisk Friday from our Elkins Park campus where all of our students, faculty and staff have been busy with classes, labs and clinics. Special thanks to our volunteer Board of Trustee members for their insights and participation at our Board meeting earlier this week. We deeply value their expertise and guidance. In addition, here are some other items of interest:

NEW SAFE ZONE LOGO: We are excited to introduce our new LGBTQ+ Safe Zone logo (see attached). Salus employees who complete one of the upcoming, two-hour "Safe Zone" trainings may wish to display the emblem in their office space to signify completion. Trainings are available virtually Feb. 24 and April 18. Registration information will be emailed in the coming weeks.

PA AND OT PANEL DISCUSSION: The Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program faculty, along with PA and Occupational Therapy (OT) students, will present a panel discussion titled "Learning the Challenges of Healthcare Access through a Medical Service Lens: Salus PA & OT Student Experiences in Guatemala,” at noon today, Feb. 3, in Room S-300. Go to cerbgistration@salus.edu to register.

COMMUNICATION TIPS: Please join CPPD's doctoral student trainees Andrew Jaskot and Janeyshka Ortiz-Flores for a communication “tips and tricks” tabling event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, outside the café. Students are encouraged to stop by to chat with the counselors, receive more information about communication styles in relationships, grab some treats, and receive more information about the 

CPPD. BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Wednesday marked the beginning of Black History Month commemorating and celebrating the history, accomplishments, leadership, and lives of Black Americans. Dr. Mosley-Williams sent out this week a powerful reflection that I encourage you all to read.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This week a friend reminded me of a quote attributed to President John F. Kennedy: “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”

Good leaders, and those of us in healthcare, always need to be proactive. The way we do this at Salus is through scenario planning, a modeling exercise that systematically explores alternative futures in healthcare and higher education, in order to formulate strategies to address potential developments.

For example, while we could never have predicted a global pandemic, our scenario planning enabled us to respond effectively. One of our scenarios identified the need to expand hybrid education. As part of our strategic plan, we invested heavily in the necessary infrastructure to facilitate this. This investment allowed us to pivot to on-line teaching and learning over the course of a weekend when the pandemic hit.

As we emerged from the pandemic, we embarked on another round of scenario planning. While this evolution validated many of the findings from our last round, it also pointed to the importance of developing sustainable partnerships and affiliations with other institutions. Given the current landscape in higher education, we are proactively nurturing collaborative relationships with many schools, and in particular our consortium partners, to develop well-defined pathways from community colleges to our programs.

As healthcare providers, we develop differential diagnosis lists to provide the best possible care for patients as conditions and symptoms evolve. This is a form of scenario planning – exploring a range of potential treatment courses so that we are better prepared for the unexpected. As students, you also need to be thinking proactively about managing your time to effectively study for national board exams. When I was a student, we “budgeted” several hours a week just to stay on top of things – something I highly recommend. 

As we get ready for the weekend, please think about the importance of being proactive in all that you do. By planning ahead, you’ll be able to prioritize what’s important to you personally and professionally, because you will spend less time reacting.

Have a great weekend – Stay warm as it’s supposed to be extremely cold. Be safe, remain COVID vigilant, continue to watch out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

- Mike