Addressing Gun Violence: Week of March 31, 2023

 

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

Good morning on a crisp, spring day from our Elkins Park Campus. Unfortunately, we began this week with the senseless loss of more lives to gun violence at a small Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the students and staff at The Covenant School.

To our PCO students completing Part I of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam and others working on practicals and preparing for finals ahead of Spring Break next week, wishing you much rest over the break. More on both subjects in my final thoughts.

Here are some other items of interest:

SEPCHE HONORS CONFERENCE: Last Saturday we were privileged to host the annual Honors Conference of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE) consortium. Students from Arcadia University, Chestnut Hill College, Holy Family University, Neumann University and Rosemont College presented original, scholarly work, voice and visual art presentations to over 130 participants. What an exciting, transformative learning experience it was to collectively enjoy such impressive and talented work!

A RETURN TO IN-PERSON CE EVENTS: On Sunday we welcomed our first in-person Continuing Education event on campus since the pandemic began. Special thanks to Dr. Melissa Vitek and our DICE staff for organizing “Dynamic Duos” featuring Drs. Navpreet and Jaspreet Hehar, Dr. Carlo Pelino, Dr. Mohammad Rafieetary, Dr. Erin Draper and Dr. Deanna Yoder-Black. Over 100 OD’s attended this exceptional professional development.

DECADE OF SUCCESS: Although the Biomedicine program at Salus University officially started in late 2012 — recently marking its 10th anniversary — the foundation for the program was underway a few years earlier. Read more about how it evolved and the continued success it has enjoyed by clicking here. 

JOURNEY OF LEARNING: Seven months into her affiliated residency through the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University and every day has been a learning experience for Kelsi Jones, OD, ’23 Resident. Read more about Dr. Jones’ journey here.

FROM MUSIC TO AUDIOLOGY: The path Michael Davenport, AuD ‘09, took to becoming an audiologist actually started with music. Find out how Dr. Davenport became a staff audiologist for the Veterans Administration for the past 26 years by clicking here.

CAPSTONE INFLUENCE: It was during a clinical rotation at a geriatrics practice that Lauren Bunnell, MMS ‘22, came up with the topic for her capstone project, inspired by her preceptor’s lecture on different types of dementia. Read more about Lauren’s project here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention lists firearm-related injuries as the leading cause of death in persons 1 – 19 years of age, surpassing motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for this cohort

This failure to protect youth from this preventable cause of death only accentuates the magnitude of the public health emergency facing our country. Among 64 high-income countries and territories, according to the Institute for Health Data and Evaluation at the University of Washington, the United States ranks eighth out of 64 for homicides by firearm (age-adjusted). Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, two US territories, rank first and third on that list. 

In 2021, the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) recorded 48,953 firearm fatalities, the highest since the CDC began tracking these in 1981. Of these deaths, 85.8% of fatalities were male and 14.2% female. 25.8% of the fatalities were Black, non-Hispanic; 10.4% Hispanic; 60.5% White, non-Hispanic individuals. Of note, firearm suicide rates were highest among White non-Hispanic men aged 80 – 84 years. In 2021, rates of firearm homicides among Black individuals were 22.5 times higher than the year before. (Trends and Disparities in Firearm Fatalities in the United States, 1990 – 2021, JAMA, Public Health, 29 November 2022).

It is long past time for legislators and leaders to act in a non-partisan manner to help curtail this public health crisis. Recognizing that there is no single or easy solution to this epidemic, numerous studies highlight promising policies to reduce gun violence. Research published in JAMA (Firearm Laws and Firearm Homicides: A Systematic Review, January 2017) demonstrates an association between laws strengthening background checks or requiring permits to purchase firearms with reductions in rates of firearm homicides.

Actively addressing the social determinants of health at a local and national level, curtailing the relatively easy access to certain types of firearms, such as military assault-style weapons, and continuing to raise the awareness of this epidemic are key to beginning to solve the issue.

As current and future health care providers, we have responsibility to continue to call attention to this epidemic to our local and federal representatives and advocate for increased resources that can address behavioral health issues, stronger gun control laws, including universal background checks prior to all gun sales, a limit on magazine capacities and a ban of military assault-style weapons.

The more we can learn about this epidemic, the more prepared we will be to help to curtail it.

For further information, I suggest you check out the following:

• CDC’s Gun Violence Prevention website 

• Montgomery County Gun Violence Prevention Page 

• National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform 

I know I am not alone in feeling weary and heartbroken over the loss of so many to gun violence. And while it is easy to feel overwhelmed, knowledge and action are effective coping strategies. As you prepare for the weekend and a well-deserved Spring Break, consider what steps you will take as a citizen and neighbor, practitioner and professional, to better understand and address this public health crisis.

I also hope you will take the time to disengage from your normal work and study routines and find time to connect with nature, get outdoors and enjoy the beautiful spring colors. I look forward to seeing many of you upon your return in a week. For those celebrating Passover and Easter next week, I wish you a blessed and restful holiday.

In the meantime, stay safe, look out for one another and enjoy your time off so you can return SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Shaping the future Delivery of Integrated Healthcare and Healthcare Education: Week of March 24, 2023

 

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

Good morning from Chicago where I have been attending the annual meeting of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) along with John Gaal and Chaitali Baviskar. As always, the meeting attracts world-class experts from around the country addressing the most pressing issues affecting healthcare delivery in our country. I am energized by the wealth and exchange of ideas to improve what we do in patient care and education. In my final thoughts, I’ll share a little of what I learned here, particularly from remarks given by keynote speaker Dr. Fareed Zakaria, host of GPS for CNN Worldwide.

First, let me share some exciting happenings around campus:

LIVING THE DREAM: Maura Waldner, MMS ‘22, enrolled in the Salus University Physician Assistant Studies (PA) program with the ultimate goal of working in dermatology. Less than three months after graduation, she is living her dream. Click here to read more about her professional journey.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: A big fan of Greek mythology, Sarah Gosnell, MS ‘19, suspected Salus University might be a good fit. Salus is named for the Roman goddess of safety and well-being (welfare, health and prosperity). So, it was no surprise she ended up at Salus pursuing her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Read more by clicking here.

DYNAMIC DUOS EVENT: The Department of Continuing Education (DICE) at Salus University will be hosting its annual Dynamic Duos event on Sunday, March 26. This continuing education program is a synchronous, in-person event at our Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, campus. The program, COPE accredited for six continuing education credits, is designed to offer optometrists a comprehensive review of conditions impacting patient health and well-being. For more information on the event’s topics and to register, click here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: In our keynote session “What it Takes to Thrive Amid the Forces in Society, Economy and Culture that are Creating the Future,” Dr. Fareed Zakaria posited that our society is being fundamentally altered by the speed of technology development, nearly instantaneous communications though social media, and other means of information dissemination, and that these developments are playing a contributing role in the polarization of society. He observed that 20 years ago, most Americans received their news from 3 television networks. The content would generally be the same on each network, closely regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. Today, there are literally hundreds of ways people get their news online, with little scrutiny of accuracy, enabling viewers and listeners to choose news that aligns with their own opinions. That social media can amplify any viewpoint, irrespective of evidence or scrutiny, has led to proliferation of widespread misinformation. We saw many examples of this throughout the pandemic as we debated the efficacy of masking and safety of vaccines.

At the same time, the economy has been affected by many of these changes. Companies, such as Amazon and Facebook have leveraged these changes and have become outsized influencers in how we shop and communicate every day. Their impact on our culture and its evolution over time is significant and enduring.

This has direct implications for the way we communicate with our future patients and clients, and importantly, how they expect to communicate with us. Both are undergoing rapid change. The way we teach and prepare our graduates for their professions must also adapt to these forces.

And this is where things get really exciting. Teaching what have historically been lock-step programs in a more flexible, hybrid fashion; building on-ramps and off-ramps for students who work and raise families while pursuing training; enables us to prepare more graduates to address the growing need and demand for healthcare professionals. Embracing interprofessional education in a way not previously done – providing micro-credentials for students throughout their professional development, better prepares our students to learn continuously -- a habit requisite for excellence in comprehensive, integrated patient care. Expanding telemedicine across all our professions and learning to provide definitive care in more cost-effective ways improves access to better healthcare and improved health outcomes.

As we let go of old habits and beliefs, we can be an active contributor in shaping the future delivery of integrated healthcare and healthcare education. The changes we make forward our mission: advancing integrated healthcare through innovative education, research and clinical services.

As you prepare for the upcoming weekend think about what changes you can make to be an active contributor in the future delivery of integrated healthcare. For those observing Ramadan, I wish you an easy and restorative fast. To all, please continue to look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Updating Our Salus Community: Week of March 17, 2023

 

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

Good morning on this Saint Patrick’s Day Friday! I hope the luck of the Irish finds its way to all of you! It’s been yet another busy week at Salus with many of our PCO students preparing to take Part I of the National Examiners in Optometry Board exam and others completing practicums in their respective professions. We’ve also seen a hint of Spring as we have 4 adorable goslings wandering around our pond (see below). Here are additional items of interest:

OFF-CAMPUS RESIDENCY: Halfway through his master’s studies, Alex Kass, OD, ’23 Resident, found himself burned out from his science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies, and he felt bleak about his future career options. As a result, he decided to take his studies and career in another direction by pursuing a Doctor of Optometry degree. To read more about Dr. Kass and his career path, click here.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: After getting a degree in Communications Sciences and Disorders, Brianna Casey, AuD ‘20, wasn’t sure if she wanted to pursue a career in speech-language pathology or audiology. Click here to find out how her decision led her to Salus University’s Osborne College of Audiology.

PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS NOMINATIONS: The University is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Presidential Awards. Among the highest honors bestowed by the University, the Presidential Awards honor faculty and alumni work that reach well beyond our campus. Nominations are accepted from alumni, faculty, friends and students. Deadline to submit nominations is April 3, 2023. Click here for the nomination form. 

DEI Speaks!: On Thursday, March 23 from noon to 1:30 p.m our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) will welcome Dee Singley, PhD, who will give a virtual presentation and lead a Q&A session on "Reframing Disability; Understanding Access and Success Through the Lens of the Unseen." We look forward to learning with Dr. Singley.

FINAL THOUGHTS: At this time every year, I like to check in with our University community on our strategic plan priorities. Here’s a recap of progress highlights I shared earlier this week:

1. Creating a Salus “Community of Excellence” is Goal #1. Lowering the cost of education through a $2 million state appropriation for in-state students pursuing optometry helps us and Pennsylvania attract and retain qualified and diverse students and graduates. We could not have done this without our legislative partners to whom we owe tremendous thanks;
2. Providing a superior educational experience includes inclusive excellence. We’re proud of achieving the highest rates of completion of our first-ever externally administered climate survey measuring the state of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus. We’re also midway through a campus-wide compensation study to ensure we retain the best faculty and staff. And we’ve started our first-floor renovation creating new café and student lounge spaces;
3. Strengthening and growing clinical and educational programs is key to preparing exceptional graduates who will become leaders in their fields. Visits, collections and enthusiasm are “up” in our Chestnut Hill private practice model. New program development continues with a closer look at Health Informatics;
4. Exploring strategic alliances helps us achieve our mission to advance integrated healthcare through innovative education, research and clinical services. Over the past year, we’ve nurtured multiple, one-to-one relationships and network alliances through our SEPCHE consortium. There is no shortage of interest among institutions seeking to pursue a range of affiliations with Salus -- including program development, clinical affiliations and mergers, given our range of programs and strong financial standing.

I mentioned on Monday the types of partnerships we seek to nurture — those that reflect a shared vision to provide an educational program of the highest quality, that maximize opportunities for our graduates to achieve success in their practice and as leaders of the profession; that strengthen and expand enrollment and grow clinical training opportunities; and that expand research collaboration and grant funding.

You have my commitment that we will continue to be open and transparent about any partnerships we decide to pursue, and we will continue to seek input from the entire Salus community as we do.

I hope everyone has had a chance to adapt to the one-hour time change. Please continue to look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG as you enjoy your weekend.

-Mike

Honoring Women's History Month: Week of March 10, 2023

 

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

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus where our flowers believe we’re in early spring, but today’s temperatures are still reminding us that it is still winter! It’s been another busy week on campus with clinics, labs and classrooms buzzing with activity. In addition to all this, here are some other items of interest:

WHERE ARE THEY NOW TIMES TWO: Check out the latest stories from our Where Are They Now series. One features Alta Fried, MSOT ‘14, who shares how being in the Salus University Occupational Therapy (OT) helped prepare her for a career as a hand therapist. You can read about her here. The other features Grace Gawron, MS ‘18, who graduated from our Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program and now works with children and young adults with an autism diagnosis. Read more about her here.

SWEET SOUNDS OF SUCCESS: Michael Santucci, AuD ‘09, has been awarded the 2023 Samuel F. Lybarger Industry Award by the American Academy of Audiology. The award is given to an individual who has made important contributions in research, engineering or other technical achievements within the audiology profession. Dr. Santucci has also established himself as a leader in helping the music industry provide audiology care for industry professionals. To read more, click here.

LUNCH & LEARN: Yvonne D'Uva Howard, MS, CCC-SLP, PhD '22, is hosting a Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, March 14 from noon to 1 p.m. in room S300 on the Elkins Park campus. Her presentation is titled "Dyslexia and Dysgraphia: Multi-Disciplinary Considerations in Patient Care and Higher Education." Click here to RSVP.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we mark the start Women’s History Month, we honor the many contributions and sacrifices that women have made to improve society. Last week, Dr. Juliana Mosley Williams, my Special Assistant for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, highlighted the state of women’s leadership in the academy:

“Th[e] underrepresentation [of women] in [college president] positions has been attributed to gender barriers, discrimination, and late entrance into academia, which is being reduced and challenged with more women enrolling in college (currently 60% of college students are female). Even here at Salus, females make up almost 80% of our enrollment. (3/1/23)

 

I am proud of the progress we’ve made at Salus. In addition to being majority female (80%) among our student enrollment, nearly 60% of our board of trustees are women and half of my cabinet are women.

This Sunday morning we begin Daylight Savings Time (DST), so we will set our clocks forward one hour. While we will gain an hour of daylight later in the day, we lose an hour of sleep! It generally takes me several days to adjust to the change, especially in the morning where it will, once again, be dark when we get out of bed.

For those curious minds, I thought I would provide the history of Daylight Savings Time. To conserve fuel, during the World War I, Germany began observing DST in 1916. The plan was adopted in the United States in 1918 for the same reason. After World War I, DST was abolished and not put into effect again until 1942, for similar reasons. This lasted until 1945 when again it was abolished. It wasn’t until 1966 that a national DST policy was put in place. Until then individual states could implement it as they deemed appropriate. Between 1966 and 1972, states were allowed to opt out of DST. During the 1973 oil embargo, Congress enacted year-round DST to help save energy. This lasted until 1975. After 1975, DST was once again only implemented during the summer months. It wasn’t until the mid-2000’s that it was extended beyond the summer months to what it is today.

The shift to DST is also not without broader health implications. Research indicates “an associated rise in cardiovascular disease, injuries, stroke, mental health and cognitive issues, digestive and immune disease in the week following DST.”

To counter this, experts recommend the following: 

• Shift your schedule earlier. Try to shift your eating and sleep cycle 15 minutes earlier ahead of the shift.
• Expose yourself to natural sunlight in the morning. Spending a minimum of 15-20 minutes in natural sunlight (even on a rainy day) helps reset your circadian clock.
• Develop sleep hygiene. Turn off devices a couple hours ahead of sleep and create a dark, quiet environment to support longer, uninterrupted sleep.

As you prepare to “spring your clocks forward” this weekend, please keep in mind that you will need to be more careful driving into school or work in the mornings due to the darkness. You’ll also likely be a bit more tired than you are used because of the time change. So please, be smart, be careful and remain SALUS STRONG as we once again enjoy that extra hour of sunlight in the afternoon!

-Mike

The Importance of Human Connection: Week of March 3, 2023

 

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

Good morning on a cold Friday as I join Dr. Trego and our PCO colleagues in honoring Neil Draisin, OD '71, with our Presidential Medal of Honor at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Educational Congress of Optometry (SECO) in Atlanta this evening. Dr. Draisin’s accomplishments include being a past-president of SECO, member of the South Carolina Optometry Hall of Fame and prior Optometrist of the Year for the American Optometric Association. Other items of interest:

MORE NEW BOT MEMBERS: Welcome to our newest student and faculty members on the Salus University Board of Trustees. Sean Lewis ‘24OD, officially joined the board in January 2023 as our student representative. While at Salus, Sean has been a member of Student Council, has received the Pinnacle Student of the Year award from the student body, has been a member of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Golden Key International Honour Society, president of the Sexuality And Gender Alliance at Salus (SAGAS), and a teaching assistant for Optometry Clinical Skills. Effective May 1, 2023, Caitlyn Foy, DOT, MOTR/L, will be our faculty representative. Caitlyn is director of our Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) program. We’re thrilled to have both on the board and look forward to their contributions. 

INTERPROFESSIONAL CONTINUING ED: Approximately 225 participants — nearly quadruple the number who attended in 2019 — participated virtually in a recent interprofessional synchronous continuing education (IPE) course offered by Salus University. The event provided training for student supervisors and included sessions on setting students up for success and supervision vs. mentorship. Click here to read more about the event.

EYEBALL 2023: Last year’s “EyeBall” — the annual celebration for third-year students of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University before they fan out across the country for their clinical externships —– fell victim to COVID-19 and was unfortunately canceled. But the Class of 2024 made up for it by inviting the Class of 2023 to attend, to make up for last year’s cancellation. Read more about the event here.

SCHOLARSHIP MONEY AVAILABLE: When it comes to available scholarship money, students may not be aware of what’s out there. Our Student Financial Affairs office tries to make it as easy as possible for students to apply for internal scholarships. Read more here about both internal and external money that’s available.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This week I was delighted to participate in our continuing education program in Turks and Caicos along with Pennsylvania College of Optometry alumni and fellow optometrists from Canada, Oklahoma and Minnesota. Special thanks to our departments of International and Continuing Education (DICE) and Institutional Advancement for organizing this important learning experience. Our stellar PCO faculty members -- Drs. Tracy Offerdahl, Erin Kenny, Andrew Meagher, and Alissa Coyne, provided outstanding instruction.

This got me thinking about the importance of human connection and how this has become even more relevant as we emerge out of the pandemic. Every participant with whom I spent time noted how much they enjoyed the chance to be with and learn with others in person.

I was also struck by how infrequently we used our digital devices and how engaged and connected we were without them. For me, limiting my time on my computer to just a couple times a day enabled me to be more present with others.

This becomes so important in thinking about interactions with our patients and clients. As a society, I fear we are losing the ability to communicate effectively because we are so disconnected interpersonally. I want to encourage all of us to limit our texting. If we do need to pick up our phones, try having a brief conversation, rather than texting, to interact in “real time”. If you get a phone call as you are entering a meeting, instead of sending a text, take ten seconds to answer the phone and let the person know that you’ll call them back when you are done. Showing up by being fully present with others, even for brief moments, creates the space for meaningful interaction.

As you prepare for the weekend, try to limit you use of texting and have a conversation with someone you know. You’ll be surprised at how connected you’ll feel! Try to stay safe, continue to look out for one another and remain SALUS STRONG!

-Mike