Happy Holidays! Week of December 22, 2023

 

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

There is a tradition in the U.S. Navy that the first entry into a ship’s log on New Year’s Day is entered as a poem. I adopted a version of this tradition when I arrived at Salus. Although, not the first day of the of the new year, I share this with you today as we exit 2023 and prepare to enter into a most exciting 2024:

‘Twas days before Christmas, when all through our campus,

Not a student was stirring in clinics or classes;

The finals were finished, the grades were prepared,

In hopes that an “A” soon would be there;

The students were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of healthcare danced in their heads;

At work or at play, our teams aim to be “best;”

Not surprisingly, they are always up to the test;

Preparing to join with Drexel next year

Gaining friends and new colleagues is something to cheer;

From Salus’ expertise in health, ear and eye care,

To Drexel’s vast tech and research flair;

Together we’ll create a future so bright,

A beacon of learning in education’s night;

In lecture and labs, where ideas ignite,

We’ll embrace our journey with new heights in sight;

With shared goals and dreams, our paths intertwine,

Uniting two legacies in a vision divine;

As you spend time with family and friends,

Joy and peace as the year ends;

Happy Holidays to all, with hearts light and clear,

Embracing the merger, we step into the New Year.

Wishing everyone a very safe, restful and happy holiday. Enjoy the time off. Remember that, especially this time of year, small acts of kindness are gifts we can all give. Looking forward to seeing you all back on campus SALUS STRONG in 2024!

-Mike

Remembering VADM Mike Cowan: Week of December 15, 2023

 

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

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus as we get ready to celebrate the end of the semester. It’s been a busy few days as students have been completing finals and faculty have been getting grades ready for submission.

Here are some other items of interest:

WHY BLVS?: Check out this question-and-answer session with one of our young alumni, Katelyn Maffei, MEd ‘21, TVI, and learn why she wanted to pursue a career in Blindness and Low Vision Studies (BLVS) at Salus. Click here for more.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: While studying for an undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation and Human Services at Penn State, Emily Jollota’s, MS ‘17, OTR/L, little sister suffered a concussion playing high school sports for which she received occupational therapy (OT). While witnessing that experience firsthand, something clicked for Jollota. Click here to find out how that led her to our Occupational therapy program.

GIFTED LENSES: A select group of New Jersey students were gifted an inscribed Volk lens from the New Jersey Academy of Ophthalmology (NJAO). Special thanks to NJAO president Michael Chocky and Dennis Lyons, OD '73, for facilitating.

TEXAS IPE CONSORTIUM: Earlier this year Salus joined the Texas IPE Consortium (which despite its name, includes academic institutions from all over the country). We did this as part of our commitment to Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE). Skilled facilitators are essential for quality IPE, and Consortium membership gives us access to an IPE Facilitator Certificate Course that was held virtually on November 10, 2023. I am very pleased to announce that 15 faculty and professional staff now hold IPE Facilitator Certificates! Congratulations to Rachel Brackley, Brianna Brim, Anna Grasso, Lynn Greenspan, Jacalyn Harris, Ryan Hollister, James Kelly, Erin Kenny, Jamie Maffit, Bre Myers, Maria Parisi, Julie McCulley Quinlan, Anne Marie Ruckdeschel, Robert Serianni, and Luis Trujillo.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Life is too short. I was reminded of this earlier this week with the passing of Vice Admiral Mike Cowan, 34th Surgeon General of the United States Navy. Many in our Salus community may remember his inspiring remarks at the White Coat ceremony for our 2019 entering class.

Our nation has lost a true pioneer, innovator, and visionary leader – a one of a kind individual who knew how to motivate others, redefine the norm, clearly articulate an issue and get things done. VADM Michael Cowan was a tremendous friend, mentor and advisor whom I will miss dearly.

I first met Mike Cowan when I was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina, my first duty station, and he had taken his newly minted Military Training Network on the road to teach providers Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Fortunately for me, he decided to make me one of his “projects” and ultimately an instructor. Over the course of several years, I traveled with Mike and his team throughout Europe as one of his instructors. I remember jogging through the woods in Germany, drinking a good bit of beer and listening to hundreds of his stories about his Military Medicine adventures around the world. Little did I know that he was starting the arduous process of molding me into the leader I am today. Just last month, some 40 years later, I was still seeking his advice. One of the best pieces of advice Mike ever gave me was to be gentle with people. That’s a lesson we could all stand to learn, especially in today’s very contentious and polarized world.

VADM Cowan was never satisfied with the status quo, nor was he one to shy away from debate, especially when it came to providing optimum healthcare to our forces. A prolific writer and researcher, he reminded everyone who would listen about the importance of prevention, preparedness and continued advocacy. He described the importance of Force Health Protection in a way that truly made a difference in the way people responded. He wrote the book, literally, in The National Disaster Medical System: How the Nation Will Care For 50,000 Casualties in One Place, on how our nation should approach disasters. He pushed hard to rally all around him to embrace its cutting-edge ideas. He thought this was essential for the nation, as well as for Military Medicine.

VADM Cowan made everyone around him better thinkers, innovators, activists, and military health care professionals. His influence on military medicine has left an enduring mark on the entire military health system. We all owe Mike Cowan a great debt of gratitude, as his creativity, intellect and vision laid the groundwork for Military Medicine to be as successful it has been in both preventing and responding to medical contingencies around the world.

As I write this, I believe VADM Cowan would not want us to mourn him, but rather, to pick up the torch. There is much work to be done in healthcare nationally and in Military Medicine.

We will miss his quick wit, unparalleled intelligence and uncanny ability to distill a problem into its most solvable parts. I will miss him. Our Salus family was privileged to have honored VADM Cowan, first in 2019 and most recently with an honorary degree. VADM Cowan recorded a message to our graduating class of 2023 that I will share here.

May he rest in peace. Please join me in keeping the Cowan family in your thoughts and prayers.

Have a restful weekend and great winter break. If you’re traveling, please be careful as we want everyone back here in January 2024 SALUS STRONG!

-Mike

Remembering Pearl Harbor: Week of December 8, 2023

 

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

Good morning on this beautiful, clear, crisp Fall day! It’s been another busy week on campus as students complete final exams and clinical rotations and faculty start to prepare grades and do all the things that come with the end of a semester.

As things begin to wind down around campus, here are some items I hope will be of interest to you:

FAMOUS PATIENT: When Charles Klein, OD ‘67, arrived at the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry (PSCO) in 1963, with long hair, not unlike many young people who were embracing the youth movement of the time. The Philadelphia area was becoming a hotbed of political and civil change, with a vibrant emerging folk music scene. Dr. Klein’s long hair didn’t escape the notice of University president Lawrence Fitch, OD ‘36. Click here to find out what creative solution Dr. Fitch found to Dr. Klein’s long hair, as well as who Dr. Klein’s first eventually famous patient would be during his clinical training at the University.

WHAT’S NEW IN SLP: In our latest podcast, we catch up with Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, director of the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program at Salus. Bob updates us on what’s new in the SLP program and at the Speech-Language Institute (SLI). Click here to listen to the podcast.

YOUNG ALUMNI: Check out this question-and-answer session with one of our “Young Alumni,” Jonah Casella, OD ‘22. Click here for details.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Eighty-two years ago today, following the December 7th surprise attack on our Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt began his speech to Congress with this now famous line, “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” That surprise attack claimed the lives of 2,403 service members and civilians. Another 1,178 people were injured in the attack. Two U.S. Navy battleships – the USS Arizona and the USS Utah were also permanently sunk, and 188 aircraft were destroyed.

There were many American heroes at Pearl Harbor. Doris Miller, an African American Sailor, served on the USS West Virginia. Like most African Americans in a segregated U.S. Navy, Miller was assigned to non-combat related duties such as a cook. That didn’t stop him from taking over an unmanned gun deck on the West Virginia to shoot down enemy planes, taking out at least one Japanese fighter and possibly more. His actions were depicted in the movie Pearl Harbor. Miller was passed over for the Medal of Honor by then Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, who opposed Black sailors serving the United States in any combat role. Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism. The Navy has since named a destroyer-escort in honor of Doris Miller.

According to the National World War II Museum, 418,500 American military and civilians lost their lives in the war. Worldwide, 15 million military service members and over 45 million civilians were killed over the course of the war. This was the price of freedom in the 1940’s.

The human toll and atrocities associated with World War II are almost incomprehensible. Hopefully, never to be repeated.

In his 1905 publication The Life of Reason, George Santayna famously observed, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” As healthcare professionals and global citizens, we too must keep these lessons in mind. With all that is happening in the world today, combined with the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia, the lessons of the past become even more relevant.

Our call to action is to learn from the past, honor heroes, such as Doris Miller, whose selfless courage we strive to emulate, and to exercise tolerance, respect and positive influence on all whom we touch as healthcare providers, educators and researchers. Remember the human price that has been paid to protect democracy from anarchists. We have a sacred responsibility to preserve that through our actions.

As you prepare for the weekend, I hope your studying for finals goes well and that you take some time to reflect on the sacrifices of all who have given us the opportunities to study, work and care for others. Stay safe, continue to look out for others and come back next week SALUS STRONG! Happy Chanukah to our Jewish students, faculty and colleagues and friends!

-Mike

Leveraging the Wisdom of the Stoics: Week of December 1, 2023

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

Good morning on this first day of December! Campus and clinics are humming with productive energy as students prepare for practicals and final exams. On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to view several of the Healthcare, Professionalism and Diversity course presentations in the Hafter Center. The topics addressed the fullest range of social determinants impacting health across diverse and underserved populations in the United States and abroad. Congratulations to our student teams and faculty mentors on the impressive display of team problem solving!

Here are some other happenings:

TOLAND SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: Congratulations to Megan Patterson ‘25OD, who has been named the 2023 Joseph C. Toland Memorial Scholarship winner. The scholarship is awarded to a worthy third-year Doctor of Optometry student (or students) in good academic standing who demonstrates a distinctive ability to provide competent and compassionate care to their patients. Read more here.

THAILAND FIELDWORK FOR OT: Four Salus University Occupational Therapy students were the first from the program to have an international Level 1 fieldwork experience recently in Thailand. Not only did the students experience traditional learning objectives, but importantly, their learning emphasized development of cultural humility and understanding client needs in a setting beyond the United States. Click here to read more about the trip.

O&P 5K ANY WAY: The first-ever 5K Any Way Fundraiser hosted by the Salus Orthotics and Prosthetics Association (SOPA) attracted 80 participants on the morning of Nov. 11, 2023, at Alverthorpe Park in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. Read more here.

STUDENTS AT LEISURE: Re’naijah Purvis ‘24PBHS calls herself a “crystal nerd.” She doesn’t just make crystal bracelets as a side activity to her studies, she draws energy from them. They were so popular within her inner circle that friends encouraged her to make and sell them to others. Check out the latest story here in our Students at Leisure series.

CLINICAL TRAINING PODCAST: In our latest podcast, we hear from Master of Science in Clinical Optometry students from Oulu University in Finland about why they chose Salus for their clinical training. Click here to listen.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As we navigate the coming weeks of final exams and the impending merger with Drexel, we find ourselves at a crossroads of challenge and transition. In these pivotal times, I am reminded of the enduring wisdom of Stoics – Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, whose words resonate deeply with our current experiences.

To our students, as you embark on a final push this semester, remember Marcus Aurelius’ guidance, “It’s okay to be discouraged. It’s not okay to quit.” Your journey in learning, filled with its unique challenges and opportunities, is a testament to your unwavering commitment to excellence. Each day and each exam bring you closer to your professional aspirations. The reward of knowledge is available to all who persistently and actively pursue it. No one ever said this would be easy.

To our faculty and staff, Seneca offers cogent advice: "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult." The challenge in achieving our goals often lies not in the external obstacles we face, but in our own reluctance or fear to confront them.

Our merger with Drexel is a blending of our strengths and Drexel’s. It represents an opportunity for growth, collaboration and innovation. Our collective resilience will guide this transformation, paving a way for a future where our collaborative efforts will flourish to the benefit of our students and the greater university communities.

Together, we face paths that require endurance, whether in our academic pursuits or institutional changes. Marcus Aurelius reminds us that our ability to endure originates from the strength within us. Our challenges are temporary; our resolve is enduring.

As we move forward, let’s do so with a spirit of persistence, courage, professionalism, endurance and unwavering dedication towards a future that is not only bright but also full of potential and promise. Together, we will not just endure; we will thrive.

We are all here to support each other; to learn, grow and succeed together. Let’s embrace these challenges as opportunities to showcase our collective strengths!

As you prepare for the weekend, try to reflect on the words of the Stoics as they apply to many of the challenges and opportunities we encounter every day. Try to get out and enjoy some of the warmer weather and come back next week SALUS STRONG, ready to tackle those exams and matters associated with our upcoming merger.

 -Mike